The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore
Manhasset, New York
Articulated Sculptural Container Ark–glass, stone and wrought steel
Design, Engineer, Installation, Fabrication
In the Book of Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant was a golden vessel that held Moses’ stone tablets carved with the 10 Commandments. This sacred chest was carried by the Israelites for 40 years as they wandered in the desert.
The Ark that we created for the RSNS had to stir feelings not of searching for a home, but of finding one. Working with the synagogue’s design committee for three years, we sought to build an Ark that would help synagogue visitors of all faiths, ages, political persuasions and abilities feel welcomed, included and nurtured. It also serves a functional purpose: to showcase the synagogue’s four copies of the Torah, including one that survived the Holocaust, with reverence and respect. This vision informed the materials for the Ark and its design. Its glass, stone and wrought steel evoke earth and sky; its light symbolizes eternity; its doors open like welcoming arms and reveal the treasure within.
