Mezuzah at Kol Shofar
The entrance to Jewish spaces is traditionally marked by a prayer, scribed on parchment, and veiled within a vessel. Together, the prayer and its container are known as a mezuzah.
A mezuzah is mounted to the right side of a doorway, leaning inward, signifying the threshold between the sacred and the everyday. The prayer inside is the quintessential Shema, affirming the oneness of God and everything and the commandment of marking one’s doorpost prompting the affirmation of God’s commandments. It is recited as one wakes and falls asleep. The mezuzah serves as a reminder of Jewish values as one comes and goes and journeys through life.
At Congregation Kol Shofar, the reflected ceiling plan of the sanctuary and its egg-shaped plan and dome are molded, etched and hammered into the stainless steel vessel. The seven skylights of the sanctuary, six depicting the days of the week and the seventh symbolizing the Sabbath, are cut through the mezuzah, allowing a glimpse of the parchment prayer within. Twelve rays recall the beams of the sanctuary and symbolize the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
