Built in 1995 the Synagogue in Lev Efrat quickly became too small for the growing community. In 2011 the community requested that Edward Jacobs oversee an expansion of the facility and the design of new interior Judaica elements. The cleverly configured expansion added over 30% more interior space to the sanctuary, and greatly improved the lighting, site-lines, and acoustics of the existing facility. In addition, a large outdoor event area was added to the existing grounds, greatly enhancing the facility offerings and the ability to host various events.
Edward Jacobs
Edward Jacobs
The Aron Kodesh of the Lev Efrat Synagogue is comprised of 3 elements: The outer doors, the Parochet, and the inner chamber. At over 10 feet tall and with a steel core faced in maple wood, the doors are quite large. Despite their size, they move smoothly and easily on hidden tracks. The laser-cut design is meant to elicit the over-arching theme of the Aron, namely, a tree. The various shapes used to create the tree pattern are meant to evoke all of the various elements of the created world: chai/living beings, domem/inanimate elements, and tzomeach/vegetation. Whenever a Torah is put back into the Aron a series of Biblical passages are duly recited. These passages relate to the historical development of the Sanctuary-beginning with the traveling Tabernacle/Mishkan and specifically the Holy Ark. These passages are followed by King David’s prayer that his son should not be forsaken when the Ark and Divine Glory have a permanent home in the Temple. There is also Shlomo’s allegorical counsel in Proverbs comparing the Wisdom of Torah to a Tree of Life. The service concludes with the final prayer of hope- taken from the Book of Lamentations after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem- that “our days should be renewed and restored with our return to God, and that we should once again experience God’s glory among us”. The imagery in these Biblical lines span the total spectrum of Jewish history- the Tree of Life as our beginning in the Garden of Eden, and the final prayer-“Chadesh Yameinu ki’kedem”/ “Make our future as our past” – brings us back full circle to Eden and ultimate redemption.
The Aron Kodesh of the Lev Efrat Synagogue is comprised of 3 elements: The outer doors, the Parochet, and the inner chamber. At over 10 feet tall and with a steel core faced in maple wood, the doors are quite large. Despite their size, they move smoothly and easily on hidden tracks. The laser-cut design is meant to elicit the over-arching theme of the Aron, namely, a tree. The various shapes used to create the tree pattern are meant to evoke all of the various elements of the created world: chai/living beings, domem/inanimate elements, and tzomeach/vegetation. Whenever a Torah is put back into the Aron a series of Biblical passages are duly recited. These passages relate to the historical development of the Sanctuary-beginning with the traveling Tabernacle/Mishkan and specifically the Holy Ark. These passages are followed by King David’s prayer that his son should not be forsaken when the Ark and Divine Glory have a permanent home in the Temple. There is also Shlomo’s allegorical counsel in Proverbs comparing the Wisdom of Torah to a Tree of Life. The service concludes with the final prayer of hope- taken from the Book of Lamentations after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem- that “our days should be renewed and restored with our return to God, and that we should once again experience God’s glory among us”. The imagery in these Biblical lines span the total spectrum of Jewish history- the Tree of Life as our beginning in the Garden of Eden, and the final prayer-“Chadesh Yameinu ki’kedem”/ “Make our future as our past” – brings us back full circle to Eden and ultimate redemption.
The doors of the Ark open to reveal, the inner curtain/ Parochet. A colorful and lively composition the Parochet is in fact the next layer of the multi-level Aron composition. Clearly, the tree motif is still in evidence, even if in a more abstract manner. From the deep blue center, a spiral of motion originates meant to recall the initial contraction or “tzim-tzum” of creation, expanding outward in a helical pattern. Many Biblical allusions were incorporated in the composition, but these are left for the viewer to discover and ponder. The same is true for the matching Mappa, or table cover also seen in this picture.
The interior Ark is the culmination of the triform composition. Fabricated and hot-molded from flat steel, the initial vision is meant to further evoke the tree imagery, originating on the doors and continued on the Parochet. Extending from a common base, each individual branch cradles a Sefer Torah, each at a different height and each facing a different direction. Taken as a whole sculpture is also meant to evoke the crowns embellishing the individual Hebrew letters in a Torah Scroll (See Menachot 29b). Jewish tradition holds that the original Ark contained the Stone Tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments, but also the shards of the original Tablets which Moses broke, as well as the Aaron’s Staff, a jar of Manna, and the original Torah Scroll written by Moses. Hints of these elements may be discovered around the base of the sculpture and provide a wonderful educational focus for children during services.
The Ner Tamid/ Eternal Light is a mobile-like composition suspended from a sculpted steel base supporting hundreds of shimmering laser-cut polycarbonate fragments. It is a continuation and integral part of the door and Parochet compositions. Both spiral patterns culminate in the upward rush of the Eternal Light. However, when seen together with the inner Ark sculpture, the black and white juxtaposition presents an additional possibility. R. Pinehas says in the name of R. Shimon b. Lakish: The Torah that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Moses was given to him from white fire inscribed by black fire. It was fire, mixed with fire, hewn from fire and given by fire, as is written: “From His right a fiery law to them” (Deut. 33:2) (J.T.Shekalim 6:1, 25b). It is this allusion to the white and black fires from which the Torah was written which inspired the final picture of the inner Ark sculpture and glistening Ner Tamid.
During the High Holiday period, it is customary to switch the various textile elements in the synagogue to reflect the solemnity of the season. The most appropriate themes are those reflecting the triumvirate notions of the Holidays: 1- Malkhuyot- Kingship of God. 2- Zichronot- God who remembers all human deeds and rewards them accordingly. 3- Shofrot- The rams horn as a symbol of the revelation at Sinai and future Messianic redemption. It is these themes that inspired the design of the High Holiday Parochet for the Lev Efrat Synagogue, all the while maintaining an intimate connection with the concepts contained within the Aron as described above. Upon careful scrutiny one can see the pattern of a lion’s mane emerging from in between the door handles (Kruvim) and forming a crown or arch across the top of the Parochet. In fact, the lion was another form of the Kruvim/Cherubs that adorned the entire interior of the Mishkan/Tabernacle (Rashi on Shemot 26:31) In the background, the 3 Shofrot of the holiday may be discerned as well. Other elements are left up to the worshipper to contemplate and ponder.
The Mechitza/Dividing partitions are laser cut interlocking panels whose motif match that of the Aron Doors. These panels were specifically designed as modular allowing for various divisions of the sanctuary space depending on event and desired mode of worship.
In Israel, the hand-washing ritual of the Kohanim is a daily occurrence necessitating a convenient and tasteful solution for this activity. In the Lev Efrat Synagogue hand-made sinks of purple marble with matching wall tiles were combined with a maple commode to complete this important element.
