I understand that some of the Jews who came >from Europe (Italy?) a few
hundred years ago and joined the Jewish community in Hevron, brought this
trade with them and it is they who are the source of the modern-day Arab
glass craft in that city.

Israel Pickholtz
Jerusalem

Glassmaking was one of the few artisan professions where Jewish
artisans were not forced to convert to Christianity and join guilds in
order to continue to work as glassmakers. As a result, many of the
Jewish glassmaking families retained their Jewish identity for
centuries in Christian Europe.