The Synagogue

Shaarei Tikvah, The Scarsdale Conservative Congregation, is a warm and thriving progressive Jewish community where you can worship and study, share simchas and sorrows, make lasting friendships, and connect with Jewish tradition. Our diverse multi-generational membership is small enough to feel like home, yet large enough to offer and support a variety of programs and activities for spiritual growth, learning and social action. We welcome Jews of all ages and backgrounds. Our membership is drawn from communities throughout southern and mid- Westchester County. Founded in 1998, Shaarei Tikvah (Gates of Hope) began as a merger of Genesis Agudas Achim from Tuckahoe and Emanu-El Jewish Center from Mount Vernon, two Conservative congregations with long and distinguished histories. These congregations sold their properties and together bought a former Christian Science Church in Scarsdale, where Shaarei Tikvah operated until this building was constructed on the same site.

The Building

Our beautiful building was dedicated on September 8, 2008. It was designed by architects Levin/Brown & Associates of Owings Mills, Maryland, and built by Frankoski Construction of East Orange, New Jersey. The central portion of the building is a main room that may be divided into a sanctuary and social hall. The full room, dominated by the ark and stained glass windows, is used for major services and celebrations. Surrounding the main hall are administrative offices, classrooms housing the Anna and Louis Shereff Religious School, and meat and dairy kitchens. Interior signage is in both Hebrew and English. The main hallway of the building is funneled so that the walls get closer to each other as one approaches the Kaplan Bet Midrash, evoking a concentration of focus. The circular bet midrash serves as the hinge to the Anna and Louis Shereff Education Wing, suggesting that the entire building is in motion. Such architectural features emphasize that worship and study are the two elements that combine to form a sacred Jewish congregation.

The sanctuary is oriented northeast. Most synagogues west of Israel are oriented east, facing Israel and Jerusalem. Our rabbi ruled that northeast was an acceptable orientation, and may be a more precise observance of the tradition to face Jerusalem given the curvature of the earth.

Our beautiful windows were designed between 1964 and 1965 by the Hungarian Jewish artist A. Raymond Katz (18951974) and built by Rholfs Stained and Leaded Glass Windows for Emanu-El Jewish Center in Mount Vernon, where they were originally housed until 1998. They remained in storage from 1998 to 2008, when they were installed as they are now. At Emanu-El the windows were spaced out lining the two side walls of the sanctuary. Our new design places them on the front wall of the sanctuary and touching each other except for the break in the center for the ark, forming a single work of art, the two sides of the triptych with the ark in the center.

The windows are read from right to left, as one reads Hebrew. The first three windows tell the story of the Hebrew Scriptures and the last three tell the epic of Jewish history from the ancient Rabbis to 1964, when they were designed. They were designated by the artist, Raymond Katz, as follows: 1. The Patriarchs 2. Moses 3. The Prophets 4. The Rabbis 5. The Middle Ages 6. The Modern Era

The theme of each window is depicted in the full length of its center panel, which constitutes an integrated unit. Each of these center panels is surmounted by a characteristic Hebrew word or phrase. The side panels on the left and the right consist of twelve separate miniature windows. Each is a distinctive creation, illustrating or supplementing the basic theme. It usually is not continuous with others in its panel.

The Patriarchs

The Shofar Five of the windows contain a representation of the versatile shofar symbol. Rarely does a ritual object acquire such varied associations both in the memories and in the aspirations of a people. In the biblical story of Abrahams readiness to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22), the shofar, a rams horn, recalls the courage of both father and son, and the substitution of a ram as the sacrifice. Thus, humanitys supreme devotion is complemented by Gods saving mercy.

In the Mosaic legislation, the shofar is an instrument of proclamation, trumpeting Gods revelation of the Law (Exod. 19:16). In the prophetic call it is the cry of alarm rousing humanity from complacency and error, and the call to justice and righteousness. In the Rabbinic period it is the symbol of humanitys determination to achieve a new understanding of the Law, to expound it until encompasses the whole of life. In the Middle Ages it echoes humanitys faith in Gods justice and in the search for truth.

To this day the shofar serves to call the children of Israel to repentance and to hope in the ultimate triumph of Gods purposes on Earth. Why is the depiction of the shofar missing from the sixth and final window? The message of the sixth window, is the rebirth of the Jewish people after the trauma of the Shoah (the Holocaust) both in America and Israel. The window points to the continuity of Judaism. The shofar of that window is not portrayed in stained glass, because it can be seen and heard live in our sanctuary on Rosh HaShanah.

Moses

The Prophets

The Rabbis

The Middle Ages

The Patriarchs
The Patriarchal period is the formative stage of the Jewish people and its faith. The personal experiences of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah reach their culmination in the genesis of a people dedicated to the one God, devoted to a homeland and bearing a message to the whole of humankind. In this era Judaism acquires the three basic elements which contributed to its uniqueness and determined its destiny: its covenant with God, its peoplehood, and the promise of its land. The center panel [B 1-4] is dominated by the brilliant ( - El Shaddai), God Almighty, a name of God associated with the patriarchs, as made explicit in Exod. 6:3: And I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai. Judaism is God-centered and its conception of God is monotheistic. The covenant that God strikes with Abraham includes the promise that his descendents shall be as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5), as indicated by the stars above the name [B 1], and as the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16), as possibly indicated under the name on the left [B 4-5]. Suspended from the name on the right are the scales of justice [B 4-5], reminiscent of Abrahams cry to God in connection with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? (Gen. 18:25). At the foot of the center panel Jacob wrestles with the angel (Gen. 32:25) [B 9-12]. Transposed over that, reaching up to Gods name in the heavens, is the ladder that Jacob, in a different passage, sees in his dream: A stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it (Gen. 28:12). In the middle we see a river, sheep and grapes, signs of the bounty of the land that is inherent in the covenant [B 7-8]. The shofar appears in front of a pile of stones [B 5-6], below which is a bundle of wood, the wood that Abraham was going to use to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22). The stones may be the altar for Isaac; they may also refer to the stone with Jacob set up as a pillar [that] shall be Gods abode (Gen. 28:22), the stone which Jacob slept against when he dreamed of the ladder to heaven. The letters of Gods name appear to burn as fire upon the stones of the altar.

The smaller panes on the right [column C] are combinations of the names of the patriarchs and more images from their stories, 1. The Hebrew letter alef (.) and resh (.) 3. The Hebrew letter hey (.) 4. The Hebew letter final-mem ( ,)so that the first four panes spell out the Hebrew name of Abraham: . 5. The three angels who visit Abraham with news that Sarah will have a child (Gen. 18). The hospitality Abraham shows the angels marks one of the noble turning points in his career. 6. The Hebrew letters yud () and tzaddi (.) 7. The Hebrew letter het (.) so that panes 6, 7 and 8 spell out the Hebrew name of Isaac: 9. A depiction of the planting of a bush, symbolic of Isaacs rootedness in the soil of the Holy Land. 10. The Hebrew letters yud () and ayin (.) 11. The Hebrew letter kuf (.) 12. The Hebrew letter bet ( ,)so that panes 10, 11 and 12 spell out the Hebrew name of Jacob: . 8. The Hebrew letter kuf (,) 2. The Hebrew letters bet ()

A
The smaller panes on the left [column A] depict the artists conception of the symbols of the twelve sons of Israel/Jacob, most of which are taken from Jacobs last words to his children in the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis: 1. Reuben. A suggestion of the mandrakes Reuben found in the field and gave to his mother Leah, who gave them to Rachel (Gen. 30:14-15). 2. Simeon. Images of a spear and a bow, weapons of lawlessness (Gen. 49:5), referring to Simeon and Levi as attacks on the Shechemites (Gen. 34). 3. Levi. A pitcher of water, symbolizing the Levites role in assisting the Kohanim (priests), themselves a subset of the tribe of Levi, with their purity ritual and liturgies. 4. Judah. A crown, symbolizing Judahs inheritance of the birthright. The line of David and the Messiah comes from Judah, from whom the scepter shall not depart nor the rulers staff from between his feet (Gen. 49:10). 5. Issachar. A donkey, referring to Jacobs words that Issachar is as a strong-boned ass, crouching among the sheepfolds (Gen. 49:14). 7. 6. Zebulun. A sailing ship, as Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore; he shall be a haven for ships (Gen. 49:13). Dan. The scales of justice, as Dan [ ]shall govern [ ]his people (Gen. 49:16), a play on words. 8. Naphtali. A galloping deer, as Naphtali is a hind let loose (Gen. 49:21). 9. Asher. An image of bread, as Ashers bread shall be rich (Gen. 49:20). 10. Gad. The image of a snail suggests Gads role leaving its own borders east of the Jordan to blaze a trail for the other tribes. 11. Joseph. The stones suggest the pit that Joseph was thrown into by his brothers (Gen. 37:24); the tree leaning into the pit, the salvation that awaited him. 12. Benjamin. A wolf, as Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he consumes the foe, and in the evening he divides the spoil (Gen. 49:27).

10

11

12 6

Moses
The Hebrew word which dominates the central panel [B 1-3] is the Tetragrammaton ,---pronounced Adonai, revealed in ethical law and in history. The Hebrew letters are in blue, appearing out of flame, reminiscent of the Jeremiahs image of God [B 3-4] declaring: My word is like fire (Jer. 23:29). The shofar, symbol of Gods revelation, appears immediately below the name of God and is emblazoned with the words ( naaseh vnishmah), we will do and we will hear (Exod. 24:7), indicative of the total Jewish commitment to God, Gods law and Gods will. In all the centuries since Sinai these words have articulated the dedication of the children of Israel to the realization of Gods purposes on earth. To emphasize our belief that God directs the destiny of humanity, the panel depicts some of the supernatural elements of the Biblical storythe pillars of cloud and smoke on the sides (Exod. 13:21); the dry land in the middle with the blue of the split sea on either side (Exod. 14:21-29); in the center under the shofar there is the water bursting forth from the rock (Exod. 17:6) [B 5]; and under that the quail (Exod. 16:13) on the right and the manna, a fine and flaky substance (Exod. 16:14) on the left [B 6]. By water, manna and quail, the people were nourished in the wilderness, symbolized as well by the oasis of trees in the center. Just under the shofar [B 4] are two hands reaching out to God. These hands are contrasted to the mighty hand and outstretched arm of God (Deut. 26:8) at the bottom of the panel [B 10], depicted beside the burning bush (Exod. 3:2), orange flames upon a green background. The Hebrew word at the bottom, over the blue bricks, is ( avdut) slavery, and the sweep upwards is from slavery to revelation, so beautifully depicted in vivid colors behind the name of God [B 11 - 12]. It is, of course, impossible to suggest the full scope of Biblical legislation. The side panes on right and left give us, nevertheless, images of various examples of the Torahs laws.

Beginning on the right [column C]: 1. The lulav and etrog, characteristic of the festival of Sukkot (Lev. 23:40). 2. The Hebrew word Lo a simple negative symbolizing all the prohibitions, moral and ritual, of which tradition counts 365. 3. A stalk of wheat, alluding to the laws of peah and leket, that the corners of the fields and the gleanings of the harvest be reserved to sustain the poor and unfortunate (Lev. 19:9). 4. Two hands holding the Hebrew letter tzadi ( ,)representing tzedakah, a unique combination of the ideas of charity and righteousness in ones relationship with ones fellow. 5. The scales, emblematic of Gods command: Justice, justice shall you pursue (Deut. 16:20). 6. Tefillin, worn in prayer every weekday morning (Deut. 6:8). 7. A doe and its young, representative of the Bibles concern for the widow and the orphan (Exod. 22:21). The image is also suggestive of the injunction to not boil a kid in its mothers milk (Exod. 34:26).

8. The Hebrew word ger which means stranger with the Egyptian pyramids in the background reminiscent of the oft-repeated command to love the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (e.g. Lev. 19:34). 9. The Hebrew letter kaf (,) the first letter of the word ( kabed), as in honor your father and your mother (Exod. 20:12). 10. The Hebrew letter shin (,) the first letter of (Shabbat), referring to laws of Sabbath observance (e.g. Exod. 20:8-11). 11. This pane encloses an ancient weight, symbolic of the Biblical commandment to maintain just weights and measures (Lev. 19:35-36). 12. A cluster of grapes, alluding to the laws of peret, that the fallen fruit of the vineyard be reserved to sustain the poor and unfortunate (Lev. 19:10).

A 1

C
Continuing on the left [column A], the first five small panes depict various objects associated with the Exodus from Egypt and the celebration of Passover: 1. The paschal lamb (Exod. 12:3-13). 2. The egg, used on the Seder plate in memory of the hagigah (festival) offering. The last five panes depict various aspects of the ancient Tabernacle/Temple ritual: 8. A seven-branched menorah (candelabrum), as used in the Tabernacle and the Temple (Exod. 25:31-40). The menorah is the ancient symbol of Judaism. 9. Two hands each forming the Hebrew letter shin ( ,)the sign that the kohanim (priests) make as they deliver the threefold blessing of peace (Num. 6:24-26). 10. The jeweled breastplate worn by the high priest Aaron, and other high priests, with the twelve different gemstones, one for each tribe, and the Urim and Thummim (Exod. 28:13-30). 11. A vessel for the washing of hands, evoking the command to worship God in purity. 12. An image of an excavated ancient horned-altar, similar to the altar upon which our ancestors brought their sacrifices to God (Exod. 27:1-8) and from which they share Gods bounty with their less fortunate neighbors.

3. The broken piece of matzah (unleavened breadExod. 12:8) used in the Seder ritual.

4. A bowl of haroset, the traditional dip of nuts and fruit used in the Seder ritual.

5. Maror, a bitter herb, used in the Seder ritual (Exod. 12:8).

Continuing on Column A: 6. An eternal light reminiscent of the perpetual light which burned in the Tabernacle (Exod. 27:20-21), in the ancient Temples and in every Jewish house of worship. 7. The word ( Shema) the first word of the Jewish confession of faith: Hear, O

10

Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone (Deut. 6:4).

11

12 8

The Prophets
There is no predecessor for the Israelite prophet, one who, though not associated with the official cult, nevertheless speaks in the name of God. The center panel of the third window begins at the bottom with the crossing of the Jordan at the crumbling walls of Jericho [B 10-12]. The artist, Raymond Katz, had planned for the yellow fallen towers of Jericho to extend up the first half of the center panel rather than only the bottom three panes as it appears. The windows committee at Emanu-El, feeling that too much focus was allocated to the defeat of the Canaanites, commissioned instead from another artist a re-working of the middle of the panel [B 7-9] showing the Promised Land conquered and settled. Booth [B 9-10] and tent [B 6], symbols of Gods providential care and bounty, testify to the ripeness and richness of the harvest. Above that, the kingdom, indicated by the yellow crown [B 5-6], is established. The Temple is built in Jerusalem, a thankful tribute to the fulfillment of Gods promise [B 4]. The commerce of Solomon is carried by ship and caravan to all parts of the then known world [B 3-4]. Pilgrims march in peaceful procession gratefully bearing their first fruits to the House of God [B 5-6]. Prophecy, however, sees beneath the surface of material prosperity. It demands righteousness in the life of every individual and in the affairs of the nation. The word ( tzedek), righteousness, therefore dominates the windows [B 1-3] . The shofar is the symbol of the cry of prophecy (Lift up your voice as a shofarIsa. 58:1). Originating in righteousness, its call blasts out over the entire countryside of society. The Hebrew words [B 5-6] leading from the shofar are ( Atah ha-lsh), You are that man (2 Sam. 12:7), the rebuke that the prophet Nathan addressed to King David after the affair with Bathsheba when the king sends her husband Uriah to his death. These words of the prophet have echoed through the centuries as an admonition to all. Each is responsible to build his or her personal and societal life upon the foundation stone of righteousness. Let us imagine what Raymond Katzs original design would have looked like. The yellow of the fallen towers of Jericho, representing the might of fortifications, would have extended up to the middle of the window, where they would have been met by the yellow of the shofar. The shofar, with its call of justice, defeats the might of military power, just as Joshua brought down the walls of Jericho by merely circling seven times and blowing the shofar (Josh. 6:20). The fallen city of Jericho is thereby contrasted with the yellow crown, indicating the true kingdom, drawing our eyes up to Jerusalem and the Temple. As we have it in our window, some of that contrast is lost but in its place we see the fecundity of the land, the promise of the righteous society.

A 1

C
The side panes contain the names of prophets with either words or symbols depicting significant elements of their respective messages. [column C] 1. Samuel (.) 3. Amos (.) 4. Amos and the plumb line by which he measured the righteousness of the people of 4. Tefillin straps on the hand reminiscent of the verses of Hosea recited when we wrap the tefillin: I betroth you unto me forever; I betroth you unto me in righteousness, justice, goodness and mercy; I betroth you unto me in faithfulness and that you shall be devoted to the Lord (Hos. 2:21-22). 5. Jeremiah (.) 6. The burning scroll of Jeremiahs prophecy cast into the fire by the king who refused to heed his message (Jer. 36:23). 7. Jonah (.) Jonah to give him shade and then takes away, to teach: You are concerned about the plant, for which you did not labor and did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city? (Jon. 4:10-11). 9. Joel (.) 10. The Hebrew words (verav hesed) and abundant mercy (Joel 2:13). 11. Malachi (.) 12. The Hebrew letter zayin () blossoming from behind a bush, suggesting the command ( zikhru) to remember, as in Remember the Torah of my servant Moses (Mal. 3:22). 8. The plant that God provides for

Israel (Amos 7:7-8). 5. Isaiah (.) 6. Isaiahs prophecy that the lion

[more properly the wolf] shall lie down with the lamb (Isa. 11:6).

7.

Ezekiel (.) vision of the dry bones

8. Ezekiels prophecy of the

(Ezek. 37). 9. Micah (.) 10. Micahs prophecy of the sword beaten into a plowshare (Mic. 4:3). 11. Zechariah (.) 12. Zechariahs vision of the seven-branched menorah (Zech. 4). [column A]

10

1.

Elijah (.) Elijahs rebuke of King Ahab

2. A grape cluster symbolizing

11

who had taken possession of the vineyard of Nabot (1 Kings 21). 3. Hosea (.)

12

10

The Rabbinic Period

1
Judaism is founded upon law, and therefore the word which dominates this window is Torah [B 1-3]. That there is divine inspiration both in the written Torah and in the Oral Torah, the Rabbinic interpretations, even when different interpretations can be at variance with each other, is expressed by the words coming forth from the sky as beams of light [B 4-5]: ( , - Eillu veillu divrei Elohim hayyim), Both these and these are words of the living God (Talmud, Eruv. 13b). We see the hand of God [B 6-7] underneath the words reaching down to earth, and at the same time a quill and a candle reaching up. The quill recalls the function of the Rabbis, who began as scribes, and the candle their devotion to the light of learning. Dedicated to the teaching of the Torah, they found their authority to interpret it in the verse from Deuteronomy (17:11), appearing as a banner [B 7-8] under the hand and quill: ( Al pi haTorah asher yorukha), According to the Torah you shall teach. This period witnessed the destruction of the Temple, symbolized by the smoke and burning and fallen columns at the bottom [B 9-10], the establishment of the synagogue, pictured as a building with a menorah on its roof above the shofar beside the candle [B 8-9], and the origins of the prayer book taking the place of sacrifices as the means of worship, as signified by the open book at the base taking the place of the fallen Temple [B 11-12]. The shofar is symbolic of the authority of the Rabbis to modify and interpret the law. At the top and bottom of both side panels there are four Hebrew words which express four of the cardinal ideals cherished by the Rabbis: C 1: ( emet), truth. C 12: ( shalom), peace. A 1: ( din), justice. A 12: ( avodah), the worship of God.

10

11

12

13

The remainder of the side panes reflects aspects of the Rabbinic tradition. [column C]: 2. The Hebrew words vehai bahemand you shall live by them (Lev. 18:5). This quotation from the Bible is used by the Rabbis to teach that we are expected to live by the law but not die by it (Talmud, San. 74a). The next six windows symbolize the six orders of the Mishnah, the basic legal code of the Rabbis. 3. Order Zeraim (Seeds): A basket of fruit symbolizing the agricultural laws. 4. Order Moed (Set Feasts): A sheet of parchment and quill surrounded by a shofar, lulav, etrog and the tablets on the mountain, signifying the laws of the holidays. 5. Order Nashim (Women): A ketubbah (marriage contract), signifying laws pertaining to women. 6. Order Nezikin (Damages): A scale of justice with the Hebrew word ( perek), meaning chapter but also division, as in division of liability, referring here to civil and criminal law.

7. Order Kodashim (Hallowed Things): The Hebrew word ,kosher, referring to the dietary laws that are discussed in Tracate Hullin in this order, devoted to laws of holiness. 8. Order Tohorot (Purities): A laver washing hands, indicative of the laws of ritual purity. Continuing: 9. The Hebrew phrase ( vasita hayashar vhatov), Do what is right and good [in the sight of the Lord] (Deut. 6:18). Windows 10 and 11 signify elements of the Midrashic Aggadah, the homiletic element in the literature of the Rabbis. 10. The shepherd carrying the lamb is an allusion to the legend that the choice of Moses as leader of the children of Israel was not confirmed until he had demonstrated his compassion (Exod. Rabbah 2:2-3). The same legend occurs about King David as a shepherd boy (Exod. Rabbah 2:3).

11. The Hebrew word (bereishit), in the beginning, which is the first word of the Bible, with the first letter, the bet ( ,)enlarged, and the third letter, the alef ( ,)highlighted in color. The Rabbis enquired why the Bible begins with the second letter of the alphabet instead of the first, and they replied that the second letter is the beginning of the word ( brakhah), blessing, for the world is intended to be a blessing for humanity (Gen. Rabbah 1:10). Continuing with Column A: 2 and 3. A depiction of the children of Israel departing from the destroyed Jerusalem, with the Western Wall on their left. 4. Musical instruments hanging on a tree by the rivers of Babylon, reminiscent of the 137th Psalm which mourns the loss of Jerusalem. 5. A stylized version of the Sanhedrin, the ancient rabbinic council, sitting in a semicircle debating and interpreting the law (Mishnah San. 4:3). 6 and 7. A parent transmitting the heritage to a child, appearing here as a bar mitzvah boy in tallit (prayer shawl) and kippah

(skullcap), receiving a book. 8. The Hebrew phrase ( ulekhah tihiyeh tzedakah), And it will be to your righteousness [before the Lord your God] (Deut. 24:13). This is another of the phrases employed by the Rabbis to deepen the moral and ethical implications of the law. 9. A pictorial description of the method of fixing the calendar (before it was set in perpetuity in c. 360 CE) by announcing each month with bonfires from one mountain-top to another (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah. 2:3). 10. A banner of the Maccabees of the Hanukkah story. The banner contains the Hebrew letter mem ( )for Maccabee, with the yellow menorah as the staff. 11. The Hebrew phrase ( ki hesed hafatzti velo zevah), For I desire goodness, not sacrifice (Hos. 6:6), with which the Rabbis comforted themselves upon the destruction of the Temple.

14

The Middle Ages

This is the era of the ghettos, persecution, the burning of books, pictured in the bottom half of the window, but also of the glory of the Golden Age in Spain and the creativity of Rashi and his disciples in France and Germany. The interaction of Judaism with both Christianity and Islam is symbolized by the presence of Greek and Arabic in this window as well as Hebrew. Symbolizing the influence of Rashi, the phrase [B 7] ( kipshuto umidrasho), in the distinctive Rashi script, cuts across the center. It means: This is the plain contextual meaning but applied interpretation is. Rashi, (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac, France 1035-1104) was the greatest commentator upon the Bible and the Talmud. His primary concern was to expound the plain meaning of these sacred texts, but frequently he enriches their message with the insights of Rabbinic wisdom. The Golden Age of Spain is symbolized by the word ( Sefarad), that is, Spain, embedded in a jewel upon a shofar further up in the window [B 5]. The phrase [B 1-3] which dominates the window is ( Kiddush Hashem), the sanctification of the Name of God. Such sanctification is expressed either by martyrdom or saintliness. In Jewish thought, a life of saintly conduct in ones relationship to all of Gods creation is encompassed within the definition of sanctifying the Name. Both martyrdom and saintliness were displayed abundantly in this era, each contributing significantly to the survival of Judaism.

A 1

10

11

12 15

Looking at the side panes [column C]: 1. The Hebrew word ( ehad), one, which refers to the oneness and uniqueness of God, to which this age was faithful. 2. A torch representing the light of learning and piety. 3. Inscribed on stones of the Western Wall, the Hebrew words ( libi bamizrah), eferring to Judah HaLevis famous poem: My heart is in the East, but I am in the West. 4. Variations on the Hebrew letter het ( ,)which stands for the pursuit of (hokhmah), wisdom. 5. The two names ,Japheth, and ,Shem, upon the tablets are an allusion to the absorption of the culture of the outside world into the fold of Judaism, as suggested by the verse: May God enlarge Japhethmeaning beauty and let him dwell in the tents of Shemthe Semites, that is, the Jews (Gen. 9:27; Talmud, Meg. 9b). 6. A kabbalistic symbol indicating the flourishing of Jewish mysticism.

7.

The word salaam in Arabic, meaning peace (cognate of shalom), suggestive of the good relations between Arabs and Jews in the Middle Ages, and also indicative of the many cultural contributions written by Jews in Arabic.

written during this period. 10. An interweaving of the letters of , referring to the Baal Shem Tov (Master of a Good Name), Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), the founder of the Hassidic movement. 11. A blossoming book, symbolizing the Hassidic rebellion against the book-learning of the establishment Eastern European Jewish elite. 12. Two dancing Hassidim, representing the joy that the Hassidic movement emphasized as equally important to study. The side panes of Column A represent the variety of occupations and pursuits of the Jews during the Golden Age of Spain: 1. Pharmacology. 2. Alchemy. 3. Seafaring. 4. A book beginning with the Greek letter alpha (A) and ending with the Greek letter omega (), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, reminiscent of the verse from the New Testament: I am the Alpha and the Omega, says 7.

the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8), referring back to the words of Isaiah: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no god but Me (Isa. 44:6). The window suggests the intersection of Judaism with the outside world, the triumph of monotheism, and the assertion that Jews could demonstrate Kiddush Hashem, the sanctification of Gods name, through occupational pursuits as well as in the domain of the synagogue and the house of study. 5. Petty trade. This image of the wandering Jew represents only one means of Jewish subsistence in the Middle Ages. 6. Astronomy. Soldiering, or perhaps service to the state. 8. Mining. 9. Architecture. 10. A landscape suggestive of agriculture. 11. Carpentry. 12. A hilly landscape suggestive of viniculture.

8. A table, the top of which is divided into four parts, an allusion to the four-part Shulchan Arukh, the prepared table, the authoritative sixteenth century code of Jewish law followed by Jews throughout the world. The four parts of the Shulchan Arukh are the Orakh Hayyim dealing with synagogue practice, Shabbat and holidays; the Yoreh Deah dealing with matters of rabbinic instruction like the dietary laws; the Even Haezer dealing with family law, and the Hoshen Mishpat dealing with matters of jurisprudence. 9. Books seem to burst out of this window, a suggestion of the multiplicity of books upon law, philosophy, ethics, poetry, science, travel, etc.,

16

The Modern Era

In its classical sense, the word ( Israel), which dominates this window [B 1-3], refers to the entire Jewish people. This window is dedicated to the rebirth of the Jewish people in modern times, both in the State of Israel and in the New World. The bottom of this window reflects the Holocaust. Pane C12 depicts six candles and is a memorial to the martyred six million Jews. Pane A12 represents the crematoria. At the bottom of the center panel [B 10-12], the wall and the barbed wire of the concentration camp symbolize the agony of persecution which, beginning in the late nineteenth century, started a steady stream of migration from Europe to America and Palestine. The cry ( ani maamin), I believe, appearing as a prayer above the hands of the sufferers, was offered even at the gates of the crematoria as they affirmed their faith in the ultimate triumpth of righteousness and in the survival of Israel [B 10]. Rooted in this faith, the varied colored tree of life rises, nourished by Americas call Give me your poor (Emma Lazarus) with the Liberty Bell ringing above it, and immigrants lined up on the right forming the shape of the Statue of Liberty [B 8-9]. We see the tree sheltering a new village, and in the branches the verse (Im eshkekahekh Yerushalayim), If I forget you, O Jerusalem [then let my right hand wither] (Ps. 137: 5) [B 5-6], reminding us that while America may be the goldene medina (the golden land), it is not the true Zion. Towards the top we see the city on the hill, here modern Jerusalem [B 3], similar to the depiction of ancient Jerusalem in the third window (The Prophets), and down the slope of the hill emblazoned in large blue letters [B 3-5] is the Hebrew phrase ( Im tirtzu ein zo agadah), If you will it, it is no fable. These words of Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), the founder of modern Zionism, apply eloquently to every effort of modern humanity to build a better world. Except for the two bottom panes that are a part of the representation of the Holocaust, the right side panel is dedicated to the wide spectrum of American Jewish life, and the left side panel is dedicated to the life and institutions of the State of Israel.

17

A 1

C
The seals and symbols refer to [column C]: 1. The Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative). 4, 5 and 6. The map of the State of Israel with the principal cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beer Sheva and Eilat. Note: that the map reflects the boundaries of Israel inside what is called the Green Line, the cease-fire line from 1949 until the Six Day War in 1967. The map changed, a couple years after the completion of our windows. 7. The Labor Federation. 8. The irrigation of the land. 9. The watchtower of the kibbutzim. 10. The planting of eucalyptus trees by the Jewish National Fund. 11. A bird, a divided road and the word ( Eshdat). These symbolize the beginnings of the greatness of modern Hebrew literature. (El hatzipor), To the Bird is the title of Bialiks (1873-1934) first poem. The divided road reminds one of the essays of Ahad Haam (1856-1927), collected under the title ( Al Parashat Derahim), At the Crossroad. The Hebrew word (Eshdat), a reference to Deut. 33:2, may be translated as the fire of faith, thus the window symbolizes the revival of religious faith.

2. Yeshiva University (Orthodox). 3. Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion (Reform). 4. Brandeis University. 5. UJA, the United Jewish Appeal, now known

nationally as United Jewish Communities. 6. The Jewish Chaplains Council

5
7.

of the Jewish Welfare Board (military chaplaincy). The Jewish labor movement. The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (preserving the Yiddish heritage of

8.

Eastern European Jewry). 9. The Touro Synagogue, the first synagogue in the United States, in Newport, RI. 10. The Jewish Publication Society. 11. Federation, representing the concept of federated appeals for all Jewish causes.

10

Continuing with Column A, the seals and picture refer to: 1. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 2. The TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology. 3. The Weizmann Institute.

11

12

18

The Ark
The Stone The sacred space of a synagogue is defined by the presence of a Torah scroll, properly housed in an Aron Kodesh, a holy ark. Our ark is made of Jerusalem stone, the particular limestone quarried outside Jerusalem and with which the entire city of Jerusalem is constructed by city ordinance. When the sun rises and sets and the limestone sparkles we think of Jerusalem of Gold. In a sanctuary we orient ourselves towards Jerusalem. Here, our ark made of Jerusalem stone reminds us of our spiritual direction. The Doors When the carved wooden doors are closed one can see the design of a seven-branched menorah, the most ancient symbol of Judaism. The Jewish star, or Star of David, a later symbol, is found on matching wooden carvings above the entry-ways to the sanctuary.

19

Ner Tamid Atop the ark is the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light. Designed especially for us in 2008 by the Michiganbased artist Claude Riedel, our Ner Tamid is a flame bursting forth in glass in all directions. The glass is colored at its base and at different times of day the outgoing glassThe Parokhet When the doors are open, the Parokhet, the curtain, separates us from the sifrei Torah, the Torah scrolls. We use a dark parokhet for most of the year, but a white parokhet during the period of the High Holidays. The Inscription The gold-lettered Hebrew words across the top of the ark spell out the sentence ( Haed haneeman lekhol baei olam), literally, The true witness to all who pass by in the world. These words were written by Maimonides (1135-1204) in his legal code where he describes the proper behavior before a Torah scroll (Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Torah Scroll 10:11). Rather than the standard Know before Whom you stand! our ark contains this poetic phrase from Maimonides, chosen for its uniqueness and for its breadth of meaning. Who is the True Witness? It could be God, or it could be the Torah, or Jewish history as it spans across the stained glass windows from Genesis to our modern times. Or it could refer to us, the congregation. All who pass by the world can refer to our heritage and history, as much as humanity, or perhaps specifically those who pass by this particular ark. The sentence gives us pause to think about our relationship with God, Torah and Israel on many different levels, whether theological, historical, or cultural. Finally, the second half of the phrase, All who pass by in the world is used in the famous Unetaneh Tokef prayer in the High Holiday liturgy, reminding us to be humble in our perspective. flames change colors as the light is refracted. The design is meant not only to complement the windows but also to symbolize the meaning of the Ner Tamid, that Gods presence continually bursts forth, always filling this holy place.

20

The Torah Scrolls & Mantles

Torah Scrolls We have eight sifrei Torah in our main ark. They are all hand written on parchment in various styles of beautiful traditional calligraphy. The silver pieces resting on the scrolls are symbolic of the respectful place that the Torah holds at the center of Jewish tradition. The silver yad (literally hand), the readers pointer, can be seen hanging from some of the scrolls. The Mantles The beautiful mantles were designed especially for us in 2008 by the Virginia-based artist Reeva Schaffer. The top and bottom levels of three sifrei Torah each are

correlated to the windows, with each of these six scrolls containing the Hebrew phrase that dominates one of the six windows. Starting at the bottom right, the scroll mantle reads ( El Shaddai), referring to the first window, The Patriarchs. The village in the valley between hills is meant to signify the pastoral and nomadic life of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah. The middle scroll mantle at the bottom has the Tetragrammaton, --- (Adonai), referring to the second window, Moses. The pillar of fire on the scroll reflects the pillar of fire in the window that guided the people through the desert. The scroll mantle on the bottom left has the word ( tzedek), righteousness, referring to the third

window, The Prophets. The shofar matches the shofar in the window announcing the call to righteousness. On the top right of the ark the scroll mantle has the word ( Torah), matching the fourth window, The Rabbinic Period. The design is a tree of life with the tzitzit (fringe) of a tallit (prayer shawl) growing on it as fruit, symbolizing the Torah as nurturing tree. The top center Torah mantle has the words ( Kiddush Hashem), the sanctification of Gods name, referring to the fifth window, The Middle Ages, with a rainbow of colors raising our eyes upward. Finally, the Torah scroll mantle on the top left has on it ( Israel), referring to the sixth window, The Modern Era, with a stone arch

divided into twelve bricks, representing each of the twelve tribes that make up the people Israel. The two scrolls in the middle level of the ark have on them the first two and the last two words of the Hebrew phrase that rests in gold lettering upon the ark. The scroll mantle on the right reads ( haed haneeman), The True Witness, and the scroll mantle on the left reads (baei olam), Who pass through the world. Both are designs of open gates, referring to the name of our synagogue, Shaarei Tikvah, Hebrew for Gates of Hope. The scroll mantle on the left shows the silver moon shining down, and the scroll mantle on the right depicts the rays of the golden sun.

21

The Solomon Kaplan Bet Midrash The Anna and Louis Shereff Education Wing

A bet midrash is a study hall, used for both learning and prayer. Our Solomon Kaplan Bet Midrash houses our library, and is used for adult education classes, for our bar/bat mitzvah class, and for our weekday and smaller Friday evening services. The circular design of bookcases interspersed with windows is meant to suggest how the light of spirituality enters between and through the learning of books and devotion. The Ner Tamideternal light is a traditional design that comes from Genesis Agudas Achim. The ark contains two fullsize sifrei Torah, and one min-

iature size that is a real Torah as well. The two large mantles were also designed by Reeva Schaffer. Here, one has a rainbow of colors, while the other shows Hebrew letters bursting forth from a book. The two phrases on each of these scrolls, (lilmod ullamed), To learn and to teach, and (lishmor velaasot), To observe and to do, represent the two primary activities that take place in a bet midrash: studying Torah and performing the mitzvah of daily prayer.

Our Bet Midrash is named in memory of Reverend Solomon Kaplan (1923-2001), who served for many years as Ritual Director at Emanu-El Jewish Center and Shaarei Tikvah. Rev. Kaplan, a survivor of the Shoah, brought a sense of love and hope to all who were privileged to learn from him, whether they were his bnei mitzvah charges or long-time minyan-aires. The Anna and Louis Shereff Education Wing has six classrooms, three of which are suitable for younger children and three

of which can be expanded into a multi-purpose room, suitable for learning, meetings or smaller social gatherings. The Anna and Louis Shereff Religious School is named in honor of Anna Shereff (1910-), long-time member, benefactor and former Trustee, and her late husband Louis Shereff (1908-1994), who served as President of Congregation Emanu-El and chaired the Stained Glass Window Committee in 1964-65.

* This booklet is dedicated to the loving memory of Joan Arnow (1929-2010). 2010 Shaarei Tikvah, The Scarsdale Conservative Congregation, Scarsdale, NY. This text was prepared by Rabbi David J. Fine (Rabbi of Shaarei Tikvah 2002-2009). The explanation of the windows is adapted from a brochure prepared by Rabbi Aaron H. Blumenthal in 1965 (Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El 1946-1973). Photographs by Jeffrey M. Elliott (Past President 2001-2003) and Ray Karaman (Ray Karaman Photography, Pleasantville, NY). Editorial assistance: David Arnow, Carol Richards Mermey (President 2009 - ), and Jeff Elliott. Art direction by Corrine Kohlmeyer-Hyman (KH Partners, White Plains, NY). Printing by ADSPACE ink, New York, NY. Production of this booklet was sponsored by Robert Arnow, and Audrey and Jeff Elliott.

22