Comments on: Meet Beth Sholom in San Francisco

By: rabsint

rabsint — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:55:31 +0000

I am the Rebbitzen at Beth Am of Baltimore and an interior designer. Here
is a link to our synagogue's web site. My poor fact checking – I should
have said Florence thou there are many European elements in the structure.
People are justly devoted to the building but it is a balancing act to use
it for a living congregation many of whom are new comers to Baltimore and
the old timers who want no changes at all. This is not a problem unique to
our community of course. Thanks for your response Rena Konheim

By: Ben Atlas

Ben Atlas — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:20:53 +0000

People make the same mistake with buildings as with women, they try to judge them by looks only. You have to live with one even to begin, but here I made an exception just for fun. Stanley Saitowitz designed another conservative temple in La Jolla. I was tempted to write about that one as well. It has the same “British parliament” configuration.

BTW, I absolutely adore the Venetian shules, especially because my hero Leon De Modena spoke in each of them. Where is your community?

By: rabsint

rabsint — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:43:00 +0000

Well that was fun. Should we damn all synagogue architecture or just the modern ones. Our community centers around an 85 year old building built in imatation of one in Venice. Evey one loves it so much that we have stayed long enought for the neighborhood to disintergrate in to a durggy mess and gentrify back up again. It is hard to make any changes (airconditioning) as it is considered sacred space. Service participation is high thou. Now Beth Shalom truly is odd. Is there a Bima? Do the Rabbi and cantor stand in the middle with their backs to 1/2 the congregation?
The inside does have an arc like quality, not that the arc was built for either comfort or beauty. It would be interesting to visit and see how and if it functioned as a worship space. Have you attend a service? Is the large sancturary used every Shabbat or only for Bnai Mitzvot and holidays?

By: Ben Atlas

Ben Atlas — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:12:44 +0000

There is one more thing I don't understand. How someone who can't sign his own name can demand a complete disclosure form others?

By: Ben Atlas

Ben Atlas — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:31:28 +0000

I was thinking of making a better presentation of my work. But for one is is not too glamorous, some of the things I worked on are very technical and can't be easily illustrated and also I get emotionally invested in everything I do so it is not easy to describe it dispassionately.

By: libertasdon

libertasdon — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:09:12 +0000

Well, Ben, you are one smart and accomplished guy. You should do some pics of your finished design projects and post them so we can better get an idea of who you are and what you have helped to create.Your critique of the Beth Shalom, San Francisco is too witty and wise for me, so I will refrain from making any comments other than to say the prayers that emante from the synagogue are no doubt beautiful and well received.