Ayekah, Where are you? Hineini, Here I am.  These Hebrew words, carved in the benches on either side of the ark, call us to wake up, to be present. Ayekah asks us to take stock of where we are, not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Only then, when we are fully awake and present to ourselves, each other and to God, can we answer the question with Hineini, Here I am!

K’doshim t’hiyu ki kadosh ani Adonai eloheichem. Leviticus 19:2. ”You shall be holy for I your God am holy,” one of the Hebrew quotations carved into the surrounding benches, teaches that we are created in God’s image, B’tzelem Elohim, and therefore have within us the potential to become our best selves.

“The most important architectural lesson for me came from an old shul in Tsfat. A core value for our temple is “sacred community.” Praying together is a critical part of this value. The idea of having a circular design for our seating in the sanctuary, with the embracing comfort of the high benches which will surround us, came from this shul. We will now see each other’s faces while we pray, giving us a more intimate connection to each other and the community of which we are a part.” —Tom Bloch, Chair, Habonim Building Committee