Donor wall for a Jewish nursing home. A mountain landscape in ceramic tile with raised text in Hebrew and English, a poem by Yehuda Halevi entitled "In Old Age."
Six thousand handmade tiles, painted by Morna Livingston; Arnold cut out every letter himself. Professional tile setters did the installation. The home is in Mason, north of Cincinnati.
The text
ואחז מחזה שדי בשכלי, ואבין כי בקרבי יש אדני, אשר נסתר יקר עצמו, ונגלה במפעליו לעיני רעיוני. בפגרי העלה נר מכבודו, ישיחני שבילי תחכמוני, והוא אשר ילך ויאור ימי נער, ויוסיף עת זקוני.
My intellect beholds visions from the Almighty and I understand that the Lord is within me, that His precious Self is hidden, but His works reveal Him to the eye of thought. He kindled a lamp, lit with His glory, in my body; it shows me the ways of the ancient sages. And this is the light that grew brighter in youth and shines ever more now that I am old.
Yehuda Halevi, "In Old Age," closing lines, in the translation on the wall
Studio of Arnold Schwarzbart
Arnold Schwarzbart ז״ל · 1942 – 2015 · Knoxville, Tennessee