Monmouth’s oldest synagogue undergoes artistic renovation

by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

Sidebar Article: Something New for Temple Beth Miriam

Pride in the past and hope for the future are reflected in the theme of the newly renovated Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon.

The 120-year-old temple just completed a year-long renovation campaign project that raised $2.6 million entirely through congregants’ donations. The refurbishment included two especially significant adornments: a grouping of colored-glass windows in the temple’s social hall that depict creation, Shabbat, and Havdala; and a donor wall in the lobby in the shape of a freeform matrix of several dozen glass rectangles in various sizes. Donors’ names and dedications are carved on the front of the glass pieces, and deep-sculpted carvings on the back form an abstract composition that suggests waves or water in motion. The entire installation is mounted on a cherry-wood panel flanked by natural stone.

The windows and donor wall were designed by Ascalon Studios of Berlin, a design and art studio that is primarily dedicated to creating work for synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Throughout its three generations of operation, the studio has undertaken hundreds of commissions for synagogues throughout North America.

The new adornments were unveiled at a special celebratory and rededication service that took place at the temple on Friday, Aug. 11. The celebration continued at a gala dinner-dance Saturday evening.

“This magnificent artwork and the success of this campaign is a tribute to every member of this temple, both past and present,” said Rabbi Cy Stanway, religious leader at Beth Miriam since 1998. “It represents our affection for, and commitment to, the values, history, and future of this congregation.”

The entire project was a process of collaboration, according to Phyllis Segall of Ocean Township, who, with her husband, Bob, and Madlyn and Jim Aaron of West Long Branch, chaired the temple’s campaign and renovation committee.

The temple membership, which consists of approximately 350 families, had been discussing renovation possibilities for several years before a consulting firm conducted a feasibility study in 2004, Segall said.

The study determined that the congregation desired a number of refurbishments and renovations of a practical nature, such as a reconfiguration of space that would enable more life-cycle events and celebrations to take place on the premises. However, there also was a strong desire for aesthetic renovation that would link the temple’s past with its future, Segall said.

“‘Treasuring our past and ensuring our future became the theme of the campaign,” she said. “After the conclusion of the feasibility study, in addition to the campaign and renovation committee, a building committee, advisory council, and a host of other committees came together, and the campaign began in earnest.”

Stanway, the campaign chairs, and temple president Paula Rowland of Ocean Township invited every member family to discuss donor options, Segall recalled.

“It was like an interview process,” she said. “We met with each family on an individual basis and in a very personal way. There were no fund-raising events — just serious discussions. Everyone was invited to be a part of the project. We asked that members make donations according to the dictates of their hearts. The interview process took seven months and resulted in an outpouring of donations that exceeded our dreams.”

Last summer, the construction began. Renovations included the reconfiguration of the sanctuary to accommodate more seating, an opening up of the bima to allow the inclusion of a choir loft, the creation of a new glass façade, and removal of the social hall stage. The kitchen was modernized and relocated, a new sound system was installed in the sanctuary and a barrel-shaped ceiling in the foyer. The rear area was landscaped and a patio built that includes a permanent wooden huppa and a sukka.

But the installation of the colored-glass windows and the donor wall represented the emotional culmination of the project, according to Stanway.

“To see those glorious windows and the donor wall become a permanent part of our temple building was a very moving experience for all of us,” he said. “They symbolize the fruition of a dream and represent an awesome level of accomplishment.”

The renovation campaign also has reinvigorated the temple community and inspired a level of energy and commitment that will endure, Stanway added.

“This has brought us together in ways no one could have imagined,” he said. “There was always a sense of cohesion among the members of this temple, but the level has increased dramatically. So many voluntarily balanced the responsibilities of their jobs and personal lives with the responsibilities and demands of being part of this renovation campaign project. The members and lay leaders of this temple are my heroes; they are truly magnificent.”

The long months of hard work were worth the sacrifice, Segall said.

“We met with so many to plan a way to realize our dream,” she said. “Month after month, we sat in meetings and shared thoughts and visions. Together, we planned, strategized, and dreamed. The excitement was palpable. We knew that a new and beautiful Beth Miriam would emerge for our stronger, closer, and more dedicated community. And our goal was surpassed!”

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Something new for
Temple Beth Miriam

THE HIGHLIGHTS of the renovation project at Temple Beth Miriam — a grouping of colored-glass windows in the temple’s social hall and a donor wall in the temple lobby — represent the latest inspirational design of a three-generation family tradition. Ascalon Studios was begun by famed artist Maurice Ascalon, who is considered one of prestate Israel’s most important designers and who brought his talents and creativity to fruition in New Jersey.

Born Moshe Klein in Hungary in 1913, Maurice Ascalon attended the Academy des Beaux Arts in Brussels and immigrated to prestate Israel in 1934.

There he founded Pal Bell Company, a decorative arts manufacturing firm; his designs — some Art Deco, others more traditional — introduced the use of verdigris, now a hallmark of Israel’s crafts industry. In 1939, he designed and created The Toiler of the Soil, the Laborer and the Scholar, a copper sculpture that adorned the Jewish Palestine Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

Shortly before he relocated to the United States in 1956, Ascalon adopted his new name after the biblical city.

In America, he gained a reputation as a master silversmith, creating Torah crowns and other ritual objects. His works are installed at synagogues and public spaces throughout the United States and Mexico and are among the collections of major museums. He founded Ascalon Studios in Cherry Hill in the late 1970s.

In August 2003, Maurice Ascalon passed away at the age of 90 in Cherry Hill.

Now in Berlin, NJ, and under the direction of Ascalon’s son, artist/designer David — Ascalon Studios is a multifaceted art center dedicated to the creation of monumental sculpture and art for houses of worship and public spaces. Its artisans work in metal, stone, ceramic, stained glass, and mosaics. Among them are David’s sons, Eric, who serves as general manager, and Brad, an industrial designer with his own studio, who often collaborates with Ascalon Studios.

“It was a pleasure to work with the design committee at Temple Beth Miriam,” Eric Ascalon told NJ Jewish News, adding that the project represents a true collaborative effort between congregants and artisans.

“The committee had sophisticated taste and that makes our job a lot easier….”

In keeping with the temple’s desire to embrace its past, pay homage to Jewish tradition, and herald its future, the studio designed a series of floor-to-ceiling colored-glass windows for the social hall that depict creation, Shabbat, and Havdala.

Although the windows were created with a contemporary aesthetic, the motif is purely traditional, said David Ascalon. Flanking each side of the social hall is a column of glass that is dedicated to the six days of creation. The seventh day, the day of rest, is honored in two distinct windows. On the right side of the room, a window welcomes Shabbat, and a setting sun on the left side signals the start of the Havdala ceremony.

The donor wall in the lobby is a freeform matrix of several dozen glass rectangles in various sizes, Eric Ascalon explained. Donor names and dedications are carved on the front of the glass pieces, and deep-sculpted carvings on the back form an abstract composition that suggests waves or water in motion. The entire installation is mounted on a cherry-wood panel flanked by natural stone.

Above the matrix is a verse from the Talmud: “As my ancestors planted for me, so too do I plant for my children.”

“The verse evokes the purpose behind the spirit of giving and the link between the past, present, and future that the temple members wanted to emphasize,” said Eric Ascalon. “The rededicated Temple Beth Miriam is truly a spiritual space. In Judaism, aesthetics has always played a key role in helping to transform an earthly space into a spiritual space.”

— JILL HUBER