skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Build For Me a Sanctuary that I may Dwell Among You
וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם
Exodus 25:8
These beautifully polished, laser cut steel letters were crafted by metal artist Stu Luxenberg.
On a literal level, this passage from Exodus seems to have God telling us to construct a building for God to live in. Many commentators have also interpreted this to mean.....create a space for God inside of ourselves.
The beauty of this interpretation is that each of us has the capacity to embody godliness. In Judaism we list the attributes of God as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, forgiving...and more. If we strive to embody these traits in ourselves then we create space within our hearts for godliness.
This new chapel is a holy space. A space not only for residents to come for religious services, but also a space for contemplation, meditation, or just quiet. I am grateful to those who funded the renovation of this space and to Gary Pearlman who designed this Mikdash, this sacred holy space.
Stu Luxenberg generously offered his talent and materials to create the beautiful letters.
Two of the three panes have spent time in the kiln. Pane #3 will go in tomorrow.
Today I brought the panes to the ark to check on fit (they are slightly too large ... which is an easier problem to solve than if they are too small!)
The designer of the windows was there to see his design come alive! Check it out!
I am a couple days behind schedule...harumpf!
Life demanded my attention.... but finally, the third panel is completed!
Tomorrow I will fuse the top pane and hope that all goes well. Before I start the next set of three, I need to cover the middle and bottom panes with confetti...at least an hour or more of work!
I'll then take the master "cartoon" and flip it to get a mirror image.
That will be an hour of drawing before I can cut out the pieces for the remaining panes.
It's very exciting...exhausting....exilharating...with small bouts of frustration mixed in! Honestly...the frustration is pretty minimal and mostly has to do with my lack of patience.
Three and a half hours to finish cutting and then gluing the pieces down .... but it was worth the push!
Two panes down. One more to finish the left panel. My goal is to finish that third piece by Thursday. If I proclaim it publicly, I might just accomplish it!
Wish me (and my back) luck!
Knowing when to stop or at least when to take a break can be challenging when you want to just push through and "git 'er done!"
If I cut myself (even a little bit) it's time to take a break. Where there are competing projects....like Thanksgiving Dinner, I stop.
I raced against the clock today, but it is almost Shabbat...so I stop.
Leaves and vines have been cut out of paper and glued into place.
My father's tailoring tape measure served as inspiration and a reminder today to place the pieces as closely as possible to conserve glass. I don't want to have to go buy another piece in order to finish the project. Sunday I will resume my efforts and hope that pane #2 (middle left door) will be ready for the kiln by Monday at the latest.
In case you are tuning in to my blog now, let me catch you up.
Robison Jewish Home has been renovated thanks to the generosity of many....especially the Schnitzer Family. The new building is the Harold Schnitzer Health and Rehabilitation Center. The Chapel is currently also being renovated thanks to the generosity of the Glasgow/Cogan Families in memory of Sarah Glasgow Cogan.
The ark has been designed (by Gary Pearlman) and it is complete, save for the glass window inserts (which I a making.) It's an exciting opportunity...and I will talk more about the people who are making this project happen in future blogs....but...I have to race against sundown, so for now....
...Shabbat Shalom Y'all!
