NEW BRUNSWICK — Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple congregant Barb Sigman created a mosaic to honor past generations of the temple and educate future ones.
The congregation unveiled and dedicated the mosaic on May 20 after 17 months of planning, engineering, gluing, cutting, collecting and shellacking the 6-by-16-by-5-foot mosaic.
Outlined in Hebrew letters to read “Welcome to Anshe Emeth,” the colorful mosaic is affixed to the wall at the back door of the synagogue. Each section has significant meaning for the congregation and the Jewish people at large. The focal point is the burning bush, flanked by the Torah portion of the burning bush story. A printer in Dayton created a template, and a granite cutter cut out the letters from a laser printer into marble, according to the statement.
Another prominent theme of the mosaic is shards of light breaking through, representing hope, and shards of glass representing Kristallnacht, also known as The Night of the Broken Glass.
There are donated artifacts within the mosaic, including family heirlooms that were smuggled out during the Holocaust, such as watches from immigrant families, coins, earrings, Mardi Gras beads and letters, according to the statement.
The project was designed, constructed and executed by Sigman after Rabbi Bennett Miller suggested a small art project to commemorate the Anshe Emeth congregation, according to a statement prepared by the temple.
Sigman enlisted the help of 587 congregants who helped bring her vision to completion. Children placed tiles in the shapes of rainbows, clouds and musical notes. There are 14 clouds which symbolize the 14 major holidays that the children celebrate throughout the year at Hebrew school.
In addition, names of the congregants who died as the mosaic was being created are etched on the bottom edge of each cloud, keeping with the living memorial theme.
The mosaic is on display and open to the public by appointment. For more information, call 732-545-6484.