|
A Photo of Our Shul's Bimah Chosen for United Synagogue Calendar
The shul was informed this month that a photo of our historic bimah has been chosen to represent one of the months in the 2010-2011 (5771) calendar, scheduled to be published this fall by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Our submission to the Art Photo Contest was a joint effort by Paul Birman, the photographer, and Sara Bloom, who prepared the accompanying text.
Birman and Bloom spent an afternoon last fall at the synagogue, looking for appropriate subjects to photograph and submit. The guidelines were somewhat vague, asking for "anything in and around your synagogue." In addition to the bimah shots, submissions included the original document recognizing Congregation Tifereth Israel as an official congregation organized in 1901 and chartered in 1903, the Tallit stand with fringes at varying lengths making an artistic statement, and the silver Kiddush cup and plate that are used at every Shabbat service.
Paul Birman photographed the four subjects from multiple angles, and Birman and Bloom chose what they felt best expressed the synagogue's history. Sara Bloom then captioned each photograph and also prepared a condensed history of Congregation Tifereth Israel and its compelling story.
The photos and text were submitted in November 2009, with no one expecting our little shul to compete successfully with some of the grandiose Conservative synagogues that had been built with elaborate plans prepared by leading architects across the nation. Our prayer sanctuary was designed by poor Jews, struggling to pay $1,200 to the carpenter who constructed it and $300 for the property it sits on. In announcing the decision, Joanne Palmer, United Synagogue's liaison with the selection committee, said: "The bimah looks beautiful, and how wonderful that it is so old and still in use."
Receiving the news that one of his photos had been chosen for the calendar, Paul Birman commented, "Sara and I composed a number of artistic images around the synagogue, but the one chosen represents the heart of the shul, notable for both its beauty and age." Sara Bloom admitted that winning a place in the calendar was a long shot at best, but that "clearly, the simple eloquence of our sanctuary and its inspiring history are irresistible."
|
|
