In the Congregation Sha'arei Torah parochet and aron, the encounter between the Jewish people and God at Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai) and in the Mishkan (tabernacle) is recalled through the use of texts and imagery.

The acceptance of the Torah by the children of Israel at Har Sinai was the culmination of the Egyptian exodus and the transformation of the children of Israel into a nation-family with a God given mission. The design of the mishkan, which attempted to echo elements of that event, was intended to give form to and perpetuate that event and to promote its purpose (see Ramban, Shemot 25:1). The giving of the Torah at Sinai was a spiritual experience that included spatial, visual, and aural elements. Preceding the receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai the people underwent a three day purification process and there was a delineation of geographic areas according to a hierarchy: the nation approached the base of Har Sinai, the elders and cohanim (priests) continued further up the mountain, but only Moshe was allowed to ascend the mountain to speak with God. The mishkan also required that those who entered purified themselves and it too had three distinct areas: the outer courtyard which was accessible to all, the kodesh (holy) portion of the mishkan which was serviced by the Levites and cohanim, and the kodesh kodashim (holy of holies) which only Moshe and the cohain gadol (high priest) were permitted to enter. This series of spatial boundaries was similarly followed in the beit hamikdash (temple) in Jerusalem. Visually, the Har Sinai event included fire and lighting, evoked by the use of gold throughout the design of the mishkan. Moshe and the elder’s vision of the sapphire brickwork of the heavenly throne (Shemot 24:10) was represented in the extensive use of techelet in the hangings of the mishkan. The cloud of smoke that lingered above the mountain gave way to the cloud of glory that hovered above the mishkan.

The synagogue, in turn, is an attempt to recall, reflect upon, and revive the experiences of the mishkan and beit hamikdash. Upon entering a synagogue one can imagine themselves entering the courtyard of the mishkan, when approaching the shulchan (Torah reading table) one has reached the next holy area, and with the aron kodesh one has reached the kodesh kodashim. The guiding metaphor that I worked with in the designs for the CST parochet and aron doors was the reflection of the mishkan’s structure and meaning in the synagogue.

Materials used

For the parochet I hand dyed dupioni silk for the base fabrics and used cotton batiks for the larger appliqué (the flower-flame-stars and the lettering). The appliqué stitching was done with gold metallic thread. By happy coincidence, the parochet combines protein fibers (silk) and cellulose fibers (cotton) paralleling the protein fibers (wool) and cellulose fibers (linen) used in the mishkan. The piece is lined with a cotton-poly fabric. I hand dyed the backing fabric, which incorporates gold metallic threads in the weave.

For the hand-beading I chose glass beads and Swarovski crystals. Another happy coincidence are the gold, silver, and copper found in the beads, metals also used in the mishkan. The gold and colored twisted bugle beads and seed beads, as well as the Swarovski crystals, are silver-lined glass. Silver allows the light that passes through the translucent glass and reflect off its surface, producing a shimmer. The clear glass seed beads are copper-lined and produce a pinkish cast that tempers the strong reds.

Colors

To parallel the colors used in the the mishkan the overriding colors used in the CST parochet are blue, purple, scarlet, and gold. The shades chosen are meant to approximate what might have been used in the mishkan. The hand dyed center panel includes two different shades of blue associated with techelet. The the large flower-flame-star appliqué forms incorporate yellows, oranges, and reds - the hot, fiery, colors in the spectrum.

Iconography and Text

The design for the center of the parochet is based upon the choshen mishpat (breastplate) worn by the high priest. Upon the breastplate was an arrangement of twelve different colored stones in four rows of three, each etched with the name of one of the twelve tribes. In the parochet each tribe is represented by a flower-flame-star. Each of these large motifs has a inner geometric structure made of repeating identical shapes that expand into undulating contours that introduce a world of variety. Geometric forms provide a strong foundation but alone can appear rigid and cold. The grace and variety within natural forms belie their structure. It is the combination of the two that provides the flower-flame-star a balanced appearance of stable strength and organic beauty.

The large forms alternate between two designs, those with 7-pointed star centers and those with 8-pointed star centers. The seven and eight pointed centers reflect a duality within the religious experience. In traditional Jewish sources the number seven represents nature, the world being created in seven days. Eight, as with the brit milah on the eighth day, is one beyond the natural, a step into the metaphysical realm. Our lives involve finding our footing as we attempt to integrate within ourselves both aspects of the human experience.

Each flower-flame-star is alone in its use of color and pattern to create a unique harmony. Some are visually expansive while others are more contained, some are perhaps visually louder while others are quieter. Yet none of them is allowed to dominate the overall harmony of the twelve. This represents the individuality of each member of the community, their personal traits and path, all being valid and beautiful but none surpassing or suppressing the others.

The center panel of the parochet, in addition to the larger motifs, includes beaded appliqué flowers. Each corner piece has three petals, the side elements, have four petals: three representing the Avot (forefathers) and four representing the Imahot (foremothers). The Avot and Imahot are our ancestral roots and we find direction and solace through them, incorporating lessons learned from their stories into our lives. The beaded flowers between the larger forms are either five-petalled or six-petalled: five representing the the five books of Moshe (the written Torah) and six representing the six books of the mishnah (the oral law), both of which were given at Sinai. It is the Torah, the combination of the written and oral teachings, that gives form and meaning to our lives.

The texts in the purple border were chosen to reflect a reciprocal relationship between God and Man. The verse on the right and along the top, is from the Shabbat morning prayer, Anim Zemirot (Song of Glory): His splendor is upon me and my splendor is upon Him, He is near to me when I call to Him. Between the two verses is a large beaded 12-petalled flower representing the twelve tribes. The text to the left of the flower is from Tehilim (Psalms) 148:18: The Lord is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity.

The dedication at the bottom begins with a quote from Shemot 25:8, And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them, and continues, Dedicated by the holy congregation Sha’arei Torah.

The CST perochet functions in place of the perochet that divided the holy from the holy of holies in the mishkan. When opened it reveals the aron kodesh which houses the Torah scrolls. It stands in for the aron in the mishkan, the repository of the two sets of the aseret hadibrot (tablets with the ten commandments). The doors of the aron are decorated with a design based upon the aron in the mishkan. The iconography on the aron kodsh doors is best seen when they are positioned one either side of the perochet.

The aron in the mishkan was constructed of wood and gold, thus the choice of materials and colors for the doors. The imagery represents three views of the aron: the short side, top, and long side (from top to bottom respectively). The Aron was 2.5 amot long, 1.5 amot deep, and 1.5 amot high. The shape of the aron in each view is in accordance with these proportions. The aron was constructed of three nesting boxes, the outer two covered with gold, the inner an unadorned wooden box. This is represented in the use of the three concentric rectilinear shapes in each view. The boxes were covered with a lid enhanced by a crown and two kruvim (cherubs). The crown is symbolized by the triangular shapes above the boxes and the kruvim are represented by two of their distinctive features - human heads and large wings.

The image at the top of the door shows the Aron seen from its short side. From this view the Aron was seen as a square shape and we see one of the keruvim poised above. The three nesting boxes are topped with a border of seven triangles, the number that in Judaism reflects creation. The two squares adjacent to the top corners of the aron represent the the two rings, seen from this view, into which the staves were inserted. The ten irregular shapes in the aron represent the shards of the aseret hadibrot contained within (in addition to the second set of tablets).

The depiction in the center of the door is a top view of the aron from which we can see the two kruvim spreading out their wings toward each other. The four squares at each corner stand in for the four rings that would have held the two staves. The twelve small rectangles cut into the largest rectangle, six on each side, represent the twelve tribes. Chazal said that the kruvim reflected the relationship between the twelve tribes, facing each other when the people were united but turning away when there was strife.

The bottom image is the long side view of the aron. From this view the two kruvim reach toward each other and one sees the two squares representing the two stave rings that would be seen. The eight triangles of the crown represent one step beyond the natural into the spiritual/metaphysical world.