Beth Ezekiel Synagogue Owen Sound, Ontario Canada
Rich: Festivals
Festivals
Karen, Lorne, Michael, Shawn and Jason Rich
Memories of holidays, warmly celebrated with family and the congregation, provided the inspiration for this window. The symbolic representation of the shofar (winding vertically through the centre), the Torah (middle), the esrog, and lulav (top corners), and the Seder plate (foreground) all link us together with an understanding of the past, an appreciation of the present, hope and renewal for the future of our community and the Jewish people.
A celebration of the Joy of Jewish life
Each of the holidays centres on the importance of the Torah, which is the basis and the foundation for our Jewish heritage and the focal point of this window. The Torah is the cement that binds us all together as one throughout the year. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the time to put one’s spiritual house in order, as much as Passover is the time to clean out one’s physical surroundings. There is joy in celebrating the anticipation and sweetness of a New Year, the abundance of a good harvest at Sukkot and at Pesach, a new beginning for the Jewish people during the exodus from Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey. Breaking the fast with community at Yom Kippur, sharing honey cake at Sukkot, sweet treats during Simchas Torah and enjoying family Seders during Pesach are all special memories for the Rich family, woven into this window with eloquence and love.
Through the observance of the holidays, Lorne and Karen have taught their children about the past, the history of the Jewish people; the present; and have imparted to them a deep appreciation for the traditions and the importance of the continuity of their Jewish heritage.