The Morasha Shul in Capetown, South Africa!

Another happy customer! This time, in Capetown, South Africa!

We spent a few months perfecting this design. We even created 5 coordinating Torah mantels. That way, whenever you open the Aron Kodesh, you see a natural flow. Outside matches inside. So inspirational!

This was the original Brief:

• Bring the garden into the sanctuary area (what the garden means to us as a community)
• Introduce more organic design to soften the angles and lines of interior spaces
• Seasonal cycle of trees and garden, for everything that they represent:
- growth
- generations past
- renewal
- shelter
- protection
- play area for our children = our future
• Because of this we were constantly drawn to leaf/tree motifs in our research for our
torah covers/parochets
• Etz chayim, but in a less traditional depiction
• Colours: blues, greens, jewel tone accents
• Fabrics: layered and textured, using appliqué and over-embroidery techniques
• Pasuk for parochet: ולקרוב לרחוק שלום שלום) Shalom shalom, to far and near)
• Torah mantles to have overall set theme / unified design

Here is the vector design, with my 'color-by-'number' instructions to my embroiderer. This way she knows where to embroider each fabric!

Note how I chose 6 differnent navy blues, all in different textures and sheens for the background. I used the darkest fabric (the velvet) for the Magen David triangles to make them stand out.

Also note the interesting embroidery stitches in some of the leaves! Some are embroidered, and others are 'appliquéd'.

Yes, tons of thought and planning (and prayers!!!) go into creating an 'effortless' parochet! Hahahah!

Coordinating Torah mantels to the Parochet

I love how when you open the parochet, you are surprised with more of the youthful leaves, saturated with even more color combinations!

I must compliment the Capetown Morasha Shul on the unity and mutual respect among the congregants which was also surprising and exemplary! We met on Zoom every Tuesday for an hour, for several months. We discussed design ideas, tweaks, comments, etc. The 'Ahava Ve'achva' felt in each shul committee was something to admire!