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October 24, 2003/Tishri 28 5764, Vol. 56, No. 5
Hark, a new ark!
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
Temple Beth Sholom starts the new year with a new ark, crafted by a handful of its members.
Photo courtesy of Temple Beth Sholom
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A few worshippers at Temple Beth Sholom have found a unique way to participate in the synagogue's service: they made the ark.
Ed and Ellen Shamah of Tempe, owners of All Wood Treasures, along with their sons Darrel and Doug, designed and helped build the ark.
Grandchildren Michelle, 12, and Andrew, 13, helped assemble and install a reading table, which they will use at their b'nai mitzvah this week.
Artist Carmen Katz, who has taught Hebrew at the synagogue's religious school for several years, made the mosaic doors.
Alder was used as the base wood for the ark and then it was covered with rosewood veneer, says Ed Shamah. Small strips of tambour were used on the sides, similar to a roll-top desk.
Along the top is a hand-carved design with the text "K'doshim atem ki kadosh ani Adonai..." which translates to "You shall be holy, for I, God, am holy..."
"To me, this verse summarizes the essence of what it means to be a Jew," says Rabbi Bonnie Koppell. "As Jews, our challenge is not simply to avoid wrongdoing, but to create 'Kiddush haShem,' to sanctify God's name by our words and deeds."
All Wood Treasures, a high-end furniture and cabinetry manufacturer founded about 12 years ago, donated the labor and half of the materials needed to construct the ark; American Hardwoods donated the other half of the materials. Temple members also made donations toward the project.
The design and construction of the ark, which stands about 11 feet tall, took about two months, Shamah says.
Katz, who designed the synagogue's stained glass windows about a year ago, wanted the same theme to carry over into the ark, so the mosaic design abstractly features Jewish symbols such as candlelight and a shofar.
To create the mosaic, Katz first drew the design and transferred the drawing onto the glass. Then she cut small pieces of colored glass, glued them to the large glass and then filled in the spaces with grout. It took her "long hours every day for three weeks."
Katz has worked in the mediums of stained glass, mosaics and wood for several years. "I'm happy that I had another opportunity to do a piece for the temple," she says. "I'm happy that I can be part of that."
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