The curtain suspended from the ceiling recalls the tents of Jacob, as reflected in our morning prayer, “Mah tovu ohalecha Yaacov…How beautiful are your tents O Jacob.” The circular mesh curtain on the high ceiling reminds us of Jacob’s gateway to heaven, a place where heaven and earth meet, or a sukkat shalom, a canopy or shelter of peace.
One of the beautiful things about this design is that it is open to interpretation. One understanding is that it resembles a chuppah, the canopy under which we bless wedding couples and consecrants. A Talmudic passage in Avot references a chuppah as a house that is open on four sides so that visitors and wayfarers can find an entrance no matter where they come from. A symbol of a Jewish home, the ceiling canopy’s resemblance to a chuppah reminds us that TBE is our Jewish home.
Another interpretation we love: “Why is the ceiling wearing a tutu?” asked a Gan Elohim preschooler!
