Worship & Ritual / Torah

Showing 1 - 9 of 9 objects

The centrality of the Torah-the first five books of the Hebrew Bible-to Jewish life is manifested not only in its theological and legal importance to Jews worldwide, but also in the care given to the physical Torah scroll. A wide variety of ritual objects have been created for its ornamentation and protection. In addition to objects such as crowns, finials, and shields, which decorate the Torah, and Torah mantles, which both adorn and protect the scroll, the Torah is also given a central place of honor in the synagogue: it is kept in an ark, often aesthetically designed and augmented with curtains. The ark and curtains not only beautify the environment in which the scroll is kept, but also shield the scrolls and separate them from the less holy space outside the ark. All of these objects represent a deep reverence within Jewish communities for the sanctity and importance of the central text of their religion, as well as a lively interaction with art historical forms of different times and places.