Sunday, February 28, 2010

Purim Evening in Columbus

I forgot how American synagogues, especially the older ones, tend to echo their European counterparts: vaulted ceiling, women's sections on either side, ornate light fixture, wooden pews, raised platform for the Rabbi and President, etc. Take a look at my pictures from the Dohany synagogue in Budapest. The last few synagogues I've been in had an upside down boat for a ceiling (the Dohany one didn't, but only because its ceiling was already so high), pillars and women sections on the side.


Note the six sided light fixtures with the flame motif. The front has a stained glass wall in a flame motif (which couldn't be pictured at nighttime), symbolizing either the burning bush, or the Jewish soul, or the trials of the Jewish people out of which will arise salvation.






Most shuls have some remembrance of the Holocaust. The wall around the corner displays pictures taken by the previous Rabbi of a specific death camp in Europe.


The Rabbi, dressed as the Straw Man for Purim.


The Rebbetzin, dressed as the Tin Man


A minimalist costume.


Obligatory princess 1.


Cookie hoarding 1.


Cookie hoarding 2.


Cookie hoarding 3.


Obligatory princess 2.


Thankfully not a princess.


She lost her wings (her mom had them).


The cleaner shares a l'chaim.

4 comments:

Josh said...

My in-laws got married in that Shul. You missed getting a picture of the beautiful stained glass window at the back though. I tried photographing it when we there for a wedding and couldn't get it framed well.

My wife wants to know who ate by for dinner that you traumatized with gaming talk? (I want to know, just in case I need to be careful on some future visit).

PS: Are you enjoying Graeter's?
PPS: If you haven't encountered it yet, apparently the Kroeger's carries kosher sushi.

Yehuda Berlinger said...

I'll try to capture the stained glass tomorrow, when there is light.

Don't worry about game talk. I just think I need to let people know sometimes that I can also discuss other things, like .... uh ... well, I can listen to them talk, anyway.

I arrived an hour before shabbat, so I know nothing of Columbus, as of yet.

Yehuda

Josh said...

Graeters = http://www.graeters.com/
Kosher ice cream chain... very very good ice cream, with huge chocolate chunks. Well worth a stop.

I look forward to the pictures. How long are you there for?

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Unfortunately, I don't eat dairy.

Yehuda