Rock Your Religion www.rockyourreligion.com Launch Party April 28, 2007 Kevin Heaphy Fitness 30 Van Dam Street Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by Mary Blanco (Opposite photo of co-founders Barbara and Maria Serbes)

"Rock Your Religion" rocked its way into downtown New York on April 28, 2007, with a launch party at Kevin Heaphy Fitness (a vast first floor warehouse space featuring a juice bar, couches and art) in Soho. Kevin Heaphy Fitness was the perfect place for this party (or for any party) with its huge retractable warehouse doors giving the party a sidewalk/rooftop feel. The place is huge with plenty of room for at rock band (in this case Pepper Spray, a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band). The space was also beautifully decorated that night, both by the jewelry displays and the hip crowd of friends and rock aficionados.

"Rock Your Religion" is the brain child of mother/daughter jewelry designers Maria Serbes (Mom) and Barbara Serbes (daughter). When Maria and her husband Jimmie (Barbara's father) tell the story of the "genesis" of the idea to make jewelry with religious themes, they talk about how they saw a Chi Rho for sale on their first date at the 1964 Queens based World's Fair. They thought it was beautiful, but could not afford it at the time. But later Maria gave Jimmie one for Christmas when he was stationed with the army in Plano, Texas. Thus started the family's love of religious symbolism and the kernel of the idea to create a jewelry line. And the beat goes on, the mother/daughter duo are now working on a line of jewelry inspired by the Star of David.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales at the party were given to VH1 Save the Music Foundation, which promotes music education in the public schools.

Rock Your Religion	Rock Your Religion

The Crowd

Leather Cuff with Chi Rho

Cute Publicist Kira Kohrherr	The Scene
Zelda Kaplan	Jimmy Serbes