Our Torah Scrolls

TORAH COVER DESIGNS

The backgrounds are gradations of hand-dyed silk in deep red/orange to turquoise to dark blue representing dawn - night moving into day and day into night, with earth tones at the base. The Torah covers are made of a hand dyed silk taffeta background; the windswept olive tree “sways to the rhythms of our people” and is hand-cut of cream-coloured ultra-suede; the Torah covers are quilted. At the top is a rayon cording that coordinates with the dyed silk. The paper-cut design continues around the circumference of each Torah cover, cradling each Torah. The covers are lined in cream satin. The artist is Jeanette Kuvin Oren.

Four themes emerge playing with the word “Kol” (Voice) embedded in the design. The Hebrew words are hidden, tucked into the branches of each Torah scroll, representing the four “pillars” of Jewish life:

WORSHIP: קולנו שמע Shema Koleinu “Hear Our Voice.” (From the Prayerbook)

LEARNING: קולה תתן תבונה T’vunah Titen Kolah “Wisdom Raises Her Voice.” (Proverbs 8:1)

COMMUNITY: ששון קול Kol Sasson “Voice Of Rejoicing.” (From the Wedding Ceremony)

TIKKUN OLAM: דקה דממה קול Kol D’mama Dakah “Still Small Voice.” (I Kings 19:12)

“May the voices of the generations of our people move through all of us” as we celebrate our shared space, our Torah covers, and our community together.

Your Torah Cover Committee:

Anita Small and Reesa Wasser (Co-Chairs), Heather Baker, Shelley Yampolsky, Hedy Moses (Leo Baeck Representative).

Rabbi Micah Streiffer, Rabbi
Mark Wolpert, President, Kol Ami
Eric Petersiel, Head of School, The Leo Baeck Day School