Synagogue Furnishings Newton, MA - David Strauss Designs

David takes delight in designing bimah accessories that are designed to blend with the existing décor of the sanctuary or to accompany the arks he has created for congregations. These pieces stand out for their creative design, clever engineering, functionality and endurance. Many of these pieces serve multiple roles – such as two-sided readers’ tables with one surface for the prayer leader to face the ark and a larger surface for the Torah reader to face the congregation.

Click to see some examples, and please contact David to see a more extensive portfolio of bimah accessories.

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Adjustable Torah Reader’s Table

Furnishings 1B - Brown Table seated Furnishings 1A - Brown Hillel Table

This Torah reader’s table features a top surface that can be adjusted to accommodate a seated Torah reader.

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Compact Speaker’s Podium

Furnishings 2A Expanding Reader's Table closed Furnishings 2B - Expanding Reader's Table open

This compact speaker’s podium converts to a wide surface to accommodate a Torah reading during the same service.

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Two-Sided Reader’s Table

Furnishings 3B - Two-sided closed Furnishings 3A- Two-sided open

Two-sided reader’s table, shown on the right in fully open position, and on the left with Torah reader’s surface retracted for transport between rooms.

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Torah Holder

Torah holder with crown motif, echoing the decorative crowns that are often placed on the Torah handles.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.