Contemporary Portable Arks and Ark Installations Newton, MA

Many of these arks have been commissioned for multiple use settings—during the week, the ark serves as an art piece with Jewish references; in preparation for Shabbat and holidays, the sacred nature of the ark is revealed as doors move, panels recede, and a Hebrew inscription and eternal light appear. [Click on an image to see multiple views]. These are just a sampling of over 30 arks for which David Strauss has received national recognition.

Please contact David to see a more extensive portfolio of completed ark projects.

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Ark for a beit midrash

Ark for the Beit Midrash (room for study) at Brown Univ. Hillel, honoring the sources of Jewish learning. The central portion where the Torahs are stored is a graphic depiction of the open pages of the Talmud, which is in turn supported by the five books of the Torah and the six orders of the Mishnah, the pillars of Jewish knowledge on which the Talmud is based.

View showing the doors to the interior of the ark in open position.

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Jewish Continuity Ark

Jewish Continuity Ark at Univ. of Florida Hillel (8’-2”H x 5’-6”W) illustrating the unbroken stream of Jews from our forefathers to the present and beyond. The inscription is from Psalms 128: “May you live to see your children’s children, and may there be peace upon Israel”

When the bi-fold panels of the outer doors are folded back for services, the generational theme continues with an emphasis on the relationship of each generation to God. The quote is from the Kedushah in the Shabbat morning Amidah: “May You (God) be exalted and sanctified in Jerusalem Your city, from generation to generation and for all eternity”

From Generation to Generation-inner ark doors open

View showing inner ark doors open along the seam of the road leading up to Jerusalem

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Through the Prism of Blessings

Through the Prism of Blessings, installed at Univ. of Texas Hillel, Austin, TX, one of 3 arks inspired by the blessings of the Amidah prayer, 9’H x 5’W. In an allusion to the ingathering of Jews that we pray for in the 10th Amidah blessing, Jews from many different individual backgrounds and traditions come together at Hillel, then branch out, spreading enlightenment from the swirling experience of their college years.

When the ark is being used for services, the words of the 16th Amidah blessing are contained in the illuminated inscription, which also serves as the Ner Tamid (Eternal Light): Blessed are you God, who hears prayer. The shofars are a metaphor for our plaintive voices joined in communal prayer. They also reflect the theme of the exterior of the ark, since in the 10th Amidah blessing the great ingathering of our people is announced by the call of shofars.

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Gates of Jerusalem

Gates of Jerusalem Ark at Univ. of Florida Hillel,
Gainesville, FL. 8’-0”W x 6’-3”H. The gates are patterned on the actual gates leading from West Jerusalem to the Old City.

When the ark is in use, the gates are moved aside to reveal the inner ark doors and a back-lit inscription (“Open to me the gates of righteousness…” Psalm 118) that also serves as a perpetually illuminated Ner Tamid.

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Tree of Life Ark at Hebrew Senior Life, Boston

Ark at Hebrew Senior Life, Boston. The Tree of Life is a metaphor for the teachings of Torah. The olive tree is known for its long life as well as its association with both Biblical and present-day Israel. The inscription is from Proverbs: “The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life”.

The stained glass cloud formation over the energetic Judean landscape also serves as the Eternal Light, seen in full when the Ark is opened.

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Portable Ark, “All Jews are Responsible for Each Other”

Portable Ark, “All Jews are Responsible for Each Other” Bab. Talmud (Shevuot 39a) is illustrated with a sheaf of wheat, since the individual stalks can stand only if they are bound together in harmony. Wheat, being one of the seven species mentioned in the Torah, is especially evocative of the Land of Israel and its abundance.

Detail of Portable Ark.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.