#bimah

[diemelusine]

Interior of Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Rhododendrites

[gliklofhameln]

Tevah (reader's desk), Sana'a, Yemen, 18th century

In order to read from the Torah in the synagogue, the scrolls are placed on a wooden desk or stand, called the tevah (or bimah). An unusual feature of this rare Yemenite tevah is the bench that could be drawn out for little boys to stand on. In Yemen, Jewish boys began to receive religious instruction at the age of about three and already read from the Torah and were active participants in the service before they reached adolescence.

[comrades-we-had-our-fun]

consider

josh said b[redacted]h. the redacted letters are ima. in ep 21 the ghc have grown up. cyrus and tj are getting married. discuss

[gliklofhameln]

A magnificient embroidered cover for a reader’s desk, Italy, 1865.

Red silk and satin embroidered with multicolored silk threads and bordered with an elaborately worked fringe of gold thread. Length: 178 cm. Width: 90 cm. Height: 87 cm.

This splendid textile was created to cover a bimah, a platform in the synagogue where the Torah is read and from which the prayers are recited. The centre of the front panel features a Hebrew inscription embroidered in gold thread comprising two verses from Psalms: “Trust in God and do good, abide in the land and remain loyal. Seek the favor of God, and He will grant you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:3-4). On the top panel, a second, even more prominently placed inscription informs us that this textile was “donated by Adele Sforni in the year 5625 [1865].” Adele Sforni was a member of a distinguished Jewish family from Mantua, and when she married Saul Da Zara in 1840, no fewer than three booklets of celebratory poems were published in honour of their wedding.

This magnificent textile was not only donated by Adele to the Scuola Grande (Great Synagogue) in Mantua in 1865 but was actually her own handiwork. In 1866, two pages were devoted to a description of this reader’s desk cover in the Italian periodical L’educatore israelita: giornale mensile per la storia e lo spirito del giudaismo (The Israelite Educator: Monthly Newspaper for the History and Spirit of Judaism). The author praises Adele for “her year of constant labour to create and execute the perfect embroidery of a lavish textile that covers the teivah where religious functions are celebrated, and in which richness, elegance, and good taste compete in a truly admirable way.”

At least six synagogues were established in Mantua over the course of the sixteenth century. Of these, three followed the Italian rite: the Scuola Grande (built in 1537), the Scuola Norsa-Torrazzo (founded in 1513), and the Scuola Cases (founded in 1590). The remaining three followed the German rite: the Scuola Beccaria (founded in 1595 on top of a slaughterhouse and named after it), the Scuola Porto (founded in 1540), and the Scuola Ostiglia (founded in 1558). The Jewish quarter in Mantua extended through the heart of the city, and so, in 1904, this area was demolished. Of the original six synagogues, only the Norsa-Torrazzo still exists today, having been rebuilt in a different part of the city. Many Jews living in Mantua left for Milan at the beginning of the twentieth century; the sumptuous furnishings and textiles of the other five synagogues were therefore scattered and can now be found in important museum and private collections around the world.

[gliklofhameln]

A magnificent Italian bimah cover, 1686

silk and satin appliqued with handmade lace, including Milanese and Reticella panels. 215.9 cm x 186.7 cm

Scholars have suggested that the pattern of wear on this exquisite textile indicates that it was used as a cover for the bimah, a platform in the synagogue where the Torah is read and prayers are recited. The centre is embroidered with the dedicatory inscription, In honour of God, and in honour of the Torah, Giuditta, wife of Azariah me-Adumim (de Rossi) in the year 1686.

[graceandpeacejoanne]

The Magdala Stone

Scholars are still studying and thinking about the meaning of the Magdala Stone. As I searched for explanations, I turned to the Biblical Archaeology Society's article written in 2021, as well as a few other sources. #MagdalaStone #Bimah #SecondTemple

David and I are once again in Israel, the “Beautiful Land,” as the prophet Daniel described it. In the heart of the town of Magdala stood its main synagogue with a mysterious sacred stone standing in the midst of its sanctuary. Discovered in 2009, this stone has depths to it that researchers are still searching out. Symbol of the Temple Scholars are still studying and thinking about the…

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[onlinechurchawards]

Bimah Furniture for Synagogues | New Holland Church Furniture

Bimah Furniture for Synagogues | New Holland Church Furniture

Make Your Bimah a Focal Point in Your Synagogue Whether you’re building a new synagogue or renovating your existing sanctuary, the interior elements you choose will define the worship experience. You may be looking for bimah furniture designs that closely resemble familiar, cherished elements, or perhaps you’re hoping to design something entirely new and beautiful. New Holland Church Furniture…

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[sacredsocialjustice]

Bimah (podium; platform). Don’t ask me what the Hebrew says. Other than a few words I picked up here and there, I never learned. #yeg #synagogue #bimah #pulpit #jewishyeg #yegjew #jewish #judaism #colourphotography #yegphotographer #photography #photograph #building #jewishlife #jewishcommunity (at Beth Israel Synagogue (Edmonton)) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9EtDIvAcrF/?igshid=5tvjia397umf