The congregation's rabbi, Victor Rashkovsky, stood in front of the fifteen foot high wall at the end of a vaulted ceiling, spread his arms and said: "it needs to fill this space." The rabbi and the committee really wanted a "Tree of Life" and I wanted to give them one that was ethereal and unique. The Torah is called a tree of life and the rollers that carry the parchment are called trees. Those are the symbols that led to this painted mural that has a realistic Torah image with two surreal trees growing out of the rollers to form a crown. A fine mural painter and friend, Jim Wyatt, assisted with the painting.
Arnold Schwarzbart
The branches, inspired by the paintings of Gustav Klimt, grow lighter as they spread toward the ceiling, and the donors' names sit on small gold plaques along them.
The text
כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל תעזבו. עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה ותומכיה מאשר. דרכיה דרכי נעם וכל נתיבותיה שלום.
Precious teaching do I give you: never forsake my Torah. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and all who uphold it are blessed. Its ways are pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.
Proverbs 4:2, 3:18, 3:17, on the open scroll
Studio of Arnold Schwarzbart
Arnold Schwarzbart ז״ל · 1942 – 2015 · Knoxville, Tennessee