Ohev Shalom Ark Curtain and Table Cover
Introduction
In 2016, our congregation completed a large mosaic art project in the Main Sanctuary. The side walls of this cavernous prayer space now feature mosaic panels, each representing one of the ancient Twelve Tribes of Israel. Two additional panels were also crafted, one symbolizing the Levitical priests that served in the Temple in Jerusalem, and one in honor of our patriarch, Jacob’s lone daughter, Dina. But something was missing.
In the Bible, Jacob allots a double-portion to one of his children, Joseph. Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, thus each become tribes of Israel, yet as a result, Joseph’s name doesn’t endure among the Israelite clans! Worse still, Joseph was not included in our mosaic project. Furthermore, our Main Sanctuary Ark curtain, a solid grey color, no longer matched the vivid, evocative imagery of the room. A change was needed.
Three years later, a well-known artist, Siona Benjamin, came to Ohev Shalom for a weekend-long artist-in-residence program. Towards the end of the weekend, Rabbi Gerber and Ms. Benjamin began discussing the possibility of a collaboration on an art installation that would add color to the Ark, finally bring Joseph into our “visual story,” and also leave the impression of Siona Benjamin’s incredible artistry on our congregation.
In September, 2020, just before the Jewish High Holidays, a new Ark curtain was installed, together with a table cover for the central prayer table; both crafted by Siona Benjamin. The following is a description of some of the imagery and symbolism captured within each of these two phenomenal new ritual objects (as told by Rabbi Gerber):
Ark Curtain (Parochet)
To begin with, Siona and I focused on the Biblical character of Joseph. A well-known image associated with him is the coat of many colors, gifted to him by his father, Jacob (Gen. 37:3). I liked using this as the main depiction, due to its many layers of meaning: It represents Joseph’s youth, the love of his father, but also the bitter jealousy of his brothers, and the very object that those same siblings would bring back to Jacob (drenched in lamb’s blood) to falsely claim he had been killed. Later, when Joseph became the grand-vizier of Egypt, he would again be wearing beautifully adorned clothing, this time, however, infused with genuine power… yet also deeper humility and wisdom after all he had been through.
Joseph himself is a complex character, first immature, bratty, and also naive, while later clever and plotting, yet benevolent. To represent this, the Ark curtain is a layered image. The outline is a coat, but then a tree is hiding within it, and a cup is hidden inside that, a bird lurks deeper still, and various other veiled symbols are embedded even further.
Here are some of the images specifically related to Joseph’s story:
The goblet inside the coat represents two important cups in Joseph’s life. First, he interprets a dream for Pharaoh’s cupbearer (chapter 40), who then eventually remembers Joseph’s assistance and tells Pharaoh. Later, when Joseph forms an elaborate plan to punish his brothers (or perhaps test their loyalty…), he hides his own chalice in his brother, Benjamin’s bag (44:2), in order to ensnare them. Both vessels changed the course of Joseph’s life.
Along the top of the Ark curtain are the sun, the moon, and eleven stars. These represent Joseph’s dream in his youth, about how his parents and brothers would one day bow down to him (37:9).
Hidden throughout the curtain are seven ears of grain and seven spectral cows, harkening back to Pharaoh’s “uninterpretable” dreams (41:2-7).
In addition, there are symbols representing God and Torah writ large:
The Hebrew letter “shin” - ש - is often used to represent God (through one of God’s names “Shaddai”), e.g. on the tefillin and on the mezuzah. In the rays of the sun on the curtain one might notice several instances of the letter shin. Additional shins emanate from the tree inside the coat as well. This symbolizes God’s Presence, sometimes evident and discernible, other times imperceptible and ephemeral.
The budding tree is a symbol of our Torah, as described in Proverbs, 3:18: “It is a tree of life to all who grasp onto it.” In Siona Benjamin’s stunning depiction, the tree sprouts beyond the bounds of the coat, even though it is meant to be part of its “design.” This symbolizes how the teachings of our Tradition cannot stay on the page, but rather insist on “breaking out” of their bounds, to impact our lives and our world… even to this day.
There is also a Star of David in the lower left corner, but it appears, perhaps, to be spinning and radiating color! This is meant to evoke an ancient rabbinic teaching from Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of Our Ancestors: “Turn it and turn it, for everything is in it” (5:22). This is a reminder that, whether it be art or religion, its potential for interpretation and meaning-making is limitless!
The Torah is also sometimes depicted as water, nourishing and refreshing us. Water features prominently on the Ark curtain, both with the flowing waves along the bottom (a signature of Siona Benjamin’s beautiful artwork), as well as the cascading waterfall behind the tree. The colors of the waterfall may also evoke the stripes of a tallit.
Just above the spinning star, one can also spot a bird’s head, peeking out from behind the tree. The bird is holding an olive branch, which is both a well-known symbol of peace, and a nod to the name of our beloved congregation, Ohev Shalom, “Lover of Peace.”
Table (Amud) Cover
Accompanying the Ark curtain is a new cover for our reader’s table, also called the Amud. This cover features two distinct sides; one visible to anyone standing and looking out at the congregation, and a second one, displayed for the congregation to enjoy from the pews. Each side has meaning, and each is also connected back to the Ark curtain:
Table Side:
When standing at the Amud, one looks down at branches sprouting out from a central point. These are meant to be extensions of the branches from the Ark curtain, as if to say that the Teaching found within the Ark extends out to the table, and then spreads yet further out to the congregation. It is also important to note that the observer is standing between the two artistic renderings; a reminder that we, the congregants, are a necessary partner in the dissemination of our heritage. Without us, it cannot emerge from the Ark or be read from the table!
The branches of the tree on the Amud grow out into seven distinct “buds” that are also flames. Indeed, these shoots form a Menorah. The Menorah is an important Jewish ritual object and symbol. In addition, this same combination of tree/candelabra already existed in Ohev’s Main Sanctuary, in the form of a sculpture from the 1960s. The table cover thus offers an homage to Ohev Shalom’s vibrant history.
Interestingly, when I shared these descriptions on Facebook, a clergy colleague of mine pointed out how the tree/Menorah combo, at least in this particular instance, also greatly resembles the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2)! As one of the Torah’s first tangible symbols of God’s Presence, it is wonderfully fitting to depict this on our Reader’s Table… and I love that new interpretations are already emerging.
Painted water drops “trickle down” along the table cover, further representing how our Torah sustains us. In the center of this sprinkling, one can also see the word “Mayim” (מיים), which is the Hebrew word for “water.” It is, however, misspelled… sort of. Mayim is more often spelled with just one “yud” (מים). Using two “yud’s” adds two important Midrashim (commentary/interpretations): It now resembles the word “Chayim” (חיים), meaning “life,” reminding us yet again of the eternal value of our heritage, and also the enduring spirit of the Jewish people. Second, in numerology, the letters of “Mayim” using this spelling produce the number 100 (40+10+10+40), meant as a celebration of Ohev Shalom’s Centennial, during which these objects were dedicated.
One final note: Behind the branches of the Menorah, one can see the same shadings of deep blue and bright yellow, paralleling the colors behind the coat on the curtain.
Congregation Side:
The image facing the congregation continues the theme of the rippling waves from the Ark curtain. It is also the end-point of the drops of water that began in the curtain’s waterfall, then “splashed” onto the table cover, and now “spill” down further still. However, it is actually not an ending at all! The edge of the cloth has beautiful beads hanging down, as if to depict the drops of water emerging from the textile and become three-dimensional. Like the tree on the Ark curtain, this symbolizes how our heritage cannot remain on the parchment or in a book; it needs to pour forth, and water our day-to-day lives as well.
The central image on this side of the artwork is a blue lotus flower. It may evoke a connection to the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, located in a straight line above/behind the table. The light of the Ner Tamid, in a sense, becomes a flower that opens up and spreads beauty and joy all around. The lotus is also a representation of our incredible artist, Siona Benjamin, and her heritage as an Indian Jew. Despite growing up Jewish, she sometimes felt excluded from the “normative” Jewish community, especially in America. It reminds us of the centrality of diversity, unity, openness, and inclusion. All are welcome here, and all are part of our community!
(Updated 09-16-20)
No comments:
Post a Comment