Torah Holder with Carved Crown
On this Torah stand, made from red birch, the crown-like effect is achieved with a stylized carving that follows the curved contour of the stand. The Torah stand has posts on which to place the actual decorative crowns that are removed from the Torah scroll when it is being used during the reading, as well as a shelf to store the Torah cover.
Rebbe’s Chair
This chair was commissioned by a loyal congregant to honor the synagogue’s rabbi, inspired by Rebbe Nachman’s chair that now sits in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The honoree in turn wanted the chair to convey a message of empowerment to the congregation, using the oft-interpreted line from Pirkei Avot “Select for yourself someone who can serve as your teacher and thereby acquire a colleague”. The chair incorporates solid carved as well as bentwood mahogany, and upholstery fabric and materials.
Monogrammed Torah Holders
These Torah stands were commissioned by a synagogue that wished to honor the name of its predecessor Adat Tikvah congregation for which its chapel is named. The Hebrew letters retain the same circular contours as the pedestals in order to embrace the scrolls. The pedestals are enhanced with Tree of Life forms that are incised into the surface of the Torah stands.
Torah Holder with Tree of Life Motif
This Torah stand nestles the scroll in a triptych-like display containing a carved Tree of Life. It can be made with built-in rods to hold the decorative Torah crowns when they are not in use on the scroll itself (see photo at right). This version was made of ebonized sapele wood.
Portable Ark for Future Generations
This portable ark is a visual exploration of the theme of Jewish Continuity. The design is inspired by G-d’s recognition of Avraham’s faithfulness in the Akedah story- the binding of Isaac- which we read on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah. G-d blesses Avraham, and promises to multiply Avraham’s descendants “as the stars in the heavens and the sands on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17). The quote is illustrated by a vast night sky, presiding over a starlit seashore. The circle in which it is framed acts as a metaphor for a telescopic view of our Jewish future, one which we hope will be as prolific as in G-d’s promise. By using a metaphor that draws on the splendor of the natural world, we reinforce our connection with the Source of creation. The seascape is relief-carved beechwood with aniline dyes, the doors are Nordic birch, and the cabinet itself is cherry.
The Jewish Continuity Ark at Temple University Hillel
This portable ark is inspired by the continued Jewish presence at Temple University spanning multiple generations. The design symbolically expresses hope for the continued vitality of Jewish life, both at Temple and throughout the world.
The design illustrates a passage from the Book of Joshua, in which the Israelites commemorate their crossing the Jordan River and entering into the Promised Land. Each of the twelve tribes take a stone from the Jordan and place them together “as a monument for the Children of Israel forever” ( Joshua 4:7 ). The relief-sculpted ark doors with a rocky tableau evoke the natural rock formations of the Jordan rift. The actual stones that are mounted on the sculpture also serve as door handles, encouraging tactile interaction with the ark by its users.
“All Is Contained in Torah” Ark
The design of this portable ark visually captures the poetic motion of the wellknown quote from Pirke Avot 5:25: “Turn it and turn it (the Torah), for everything is contained in it”. The design holds a further allusion to G-d’s living presence in the Torah and within the congregation. The allusion is hidden in plain sight: the spaces inbetween the curls of the unfurled scroll form the shape of the double-Yud letters of the Divine name, and invite the viewer visually into the interior compartment where the sacred writings are kept.
The Book of Remembrance Ark
This portable ark, which was commissioned specially for High Holiday use, is inspired by the “u-n’taneh tokef” prayer that is inserted into the cantor’s recitation of the Amidah on the High Holidays: “You open the Book of Remembrance, and it speaks for itself, for every person has signed it with that person’s deeds.” It is the record of our performance that forms the basis for what we hope to accomplish in the coming year. The book is illustrated with a textured interplay of symbolic incised “signatures”, using diverse colors to reflect how each of us brings our own distinctive character into play, and providing a positive reminder to show how our past performance can reflect proud accomplishments and traits from which we wish to continue to draw strength. The visual image also represents the Book of Life in which we hope to be inscribed in the coming year.
The Hebrew inscription: “Zachreinu l’chayim”—means “Remember Us for Life”, a phrase that appears in each Amidah throughout the High Holidays. The doors are bordered by art deco columns whose botanical stem designs are topped by scalloped forms that allude to the shofars that are used on the High Holidays.