Thornhill Kollel Parochet: From a Teacher’s Belief to a Custom Aron Kodesh Masterpiece

It Started in 10th Grade

Morah Elias was my tenth-grade Navi teacher.

On the first day of tenth grade, I was immediately intrigued by how stylish she was! I especially loved her shoes and outfits. (This was during a 15-year period when I was always sketching the latest fashions in my notebooks…oops!)

I would ask her all my burning hashkafa questions, and still remember how she told me, “Your disadvantages are your greatest advantages.”

Little did I know, she would also hand me my very first parochet job!!!

The Call That Changed My Life

Years go by. I’ve long graduated, married, and was now living in Eretz Yisrael.

I’m standing at a bus stop with little Bracha, my then baby, and talking to Morah Elias on the phone.

I’m not sure why, but I decided to share my wild dream with her: “I’d love to build my own parochet company.”

It’s as though I’d said I wanted to walk to Zimbabwe on foot and ride a lion. Like…it was not happening.

“You’re not going to believe this,” she enthused. “I have a customer for you!”

Whoa. That took me completely by surprise.

“Wait a minute!” I felt overwhelmed and almost suffocated by the thought. “I don’t know if I can actually do this!”

But Morah Elias was excited. “My husband recently fundraised for his kollel, and B”H we’re underway in the building process. We’ll need a new parochet, and I’ll put the donor in touch with you!”

Wow. I was on a high. This is so cool! I remember thinking. I’ll have my first customer! I’ll be rich!

The Reality of My First Project

Well… that first project turned out to be hard. A near disaster!!

I was young and ambitious, full of drive, but I forgot to take one small detail into consideration: I had no connections in the field and no production process.

I had to do everything from scratch. The process dragged on for nearly a year!!

By the time the parochet was finally completed (successfully baruch Hashem), I was so traumatized that I decided I would never try producing a parochet again.

BH, that resolve lasted only six years. Then Hashem sent me more parochet opportunities I simply couldn’t refuse - and My Parochet, my business today, was born.

Morah Elias Again

About five years ago, Morah Elias knew that the Thornhill Kollel was in the pipeline to undergo extensive renovations through YossiG - which meant a new parochet opportunity. I spotted Yossi G renders on Instagram, and she nudged and nudged and nudged her son-in-law (then the Executive Director) to make sure I got the job.

Designing the Thornhill Kollel Parochet

After analyzing the renders for an embarrassingly long time, I proposed a design concept to Ana Epremashvili, the Design Director from Yossi G.

BH Ana had found the designs on my website to be exactly what they needed for the shul’s interior, but I wanted to offer something even more custom and stunning.

From there, the process became highly collaborative. Yossi G provided precise blueprints to ensure the parochet would fit perfectly. I offered a gift of custom Hebrew font designs for the Aron Kodesh. And together we carefully chose typography, the featured pasuk, and fabric.

The goal of the Thornhill Kollel parochet was clear: traditional with a twist! Every element, from fabric to typography, was selected to enhance the beauty and sanctity of the newly renovated and gorgeous modern space.

Some more renders…but still not The One!

From Concept to Completion

With the renderings prepared, samples sent, and precise measurements confirmed, we moved forward.

Finally, the parochet arrived, and BH it was stunning!!

It made me think of the ambitious younger me, so many years ago, who didn’t think it would be possible.

But a persistent teacher who believed in me developed into a life-long relationship that BH BH culminated into this beautiful, one-of-a-kind parochet for the Thornhill Kollel.

IyH to many more!!

Thank you, Morah Elias.

Thornhill Kollel Parochet: A Dream Come True