Feel the need to grow... like a tree

A recent facbook discussion has lead me to try and go back to the roots of this blog where I combined the Parsha and art... but I want to delve in to the Haftorah portions, because I am not as familiar with that and want to learn.

Did you know that in this week's haftorah Solomon directs the building of the Temple? And did you know that the very famous words which we speak as we stand before the open ark come from this reading?

It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and it's supporters are praiseworthy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace". Proverbs Chapter 3 (17-18)

These ark doors come from Congregation Etz Chaim in Fairport New York and were Al Ornstein.

Shabbat Shalom.

And the floods return.

The URJ Greene Family Camp is once again a significant part of the Texas evacuation effort. Beginning last week, Loui met with emergency management officials and managers at the American Red Cross. Hundreds of families from the Texas Gulf Coast have been arriving in Bruceville Texas since Wednesday, sent here by the American Red Cross. Hundreds more are expected. Currently, the population is 400 and is expected to grow, reaching 700 individuals tonight. In addition to families fleeing the coast, GFC is housing many of the teams of Red Cross volunteers who are serving other shelters in Central Texas.
The Greene Family Camp staff is doing a remarkable job keeping up with the myriad needs of the Red Cross shelter managers and their clientele. Stefani Rozen and Ted Cera, in particular, have been working directly with the Red Cross to make this happen. Our entire Kitchen, Maintenance, and Housekeeping crews have been involved throughout, allowing us to provide this service to the community. Beginning today, Friday, members of our summer camp and counselor staff will begin to arrive and organize programming for the children who are here.
In addition to utilizing all of our camper and staff housing facilities, we have moved hundreds of cots into our two recreation halls (the Moadon and the Beyt Ha’am). Our other program spaces are being used for activities and as lounges.
Three seasons ago, Greene Family Camp played a major role in the Hurricane Rita evacuation and relief effort, operating “Camp Rita” serving hundreds of residents of the Texas coast. Some of them are back with us for “Camp Ike”.
Greene’s sister camp in the URJ Southwest Council, The Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica Mississippi has been an integral part of the relief efforts surrounding hurricanes Katrina and Gustov.

The link above will lead you to means of donating to the rebuilding the effort.

The son of a sculptor, Gregory Kohelet was initiated into art by his father. He wasn't pressured to learn "the classical laws of Art", but only to love and respect Nature - the master teacher. As a young boy, Gregory traveled with his father to wild landscapes with the intention of learning to understand the meaning of composition, color and expression as they exist in the Nature. In 1990, he immigrated with his family to Israel ansd settled in Jerusalem. In the Holy City he absorbed much light and divine inspiration. He believes in God but only in Jerusalem did he really "meet" Him.

Drumroll please...

I have been encouraged by people (including my mother) to post some of my own Judaica. I finally took a halfway decent picture. Due to cooking, cleaning and other domestic activities on the ark, all the female animals were unavailable for the sitting... So here is my Noah's Ark MEN-orah...

Tezaveh

We read on in Exodus, after fleeing Egypt to wander in the desert for 40 years. During that time G'd gives forth his commandments and instructions on how to live but also how to worship him. With in Tetzaveh are the modus operandi for the construction of the ark as well as the details for the priestly robes are delineated.
Since the destruction of the second temple there are no temple priests but a part of their uniform is used to adorn the Torah, that is the breastplate.
I love the twelve tribes breastplate from Ron Starr, but I cannot find anything about the artist. We'll just have to love it as a lone object for now.

Melanie Kline is the owner of Tagin Designs. Her work has been seen and recognized throughout the United States. This is what she says about her breastplate the Tree of Life, as the Torah is known; this breastplate is rich with symbolism. At the top of the breastplate, appearing as golden fruit, are the Sephirot. These spinning symbols breathe life
into the word "Israel". What appears to be a tree is also a menorah, the symbol of Judaism. Seventy leaves adorn this menorah representing the 70 members of the Sanhedrin responsible for the interpretation
of God's laws.Spirals of consciousness infuse the air, land, and river, welcoming us to the Source of this Consciousness. The letters of the Hebrew ALEPH-BET individually form the chain by which the breastplate hangs, symbolizing the fact that all of our Torah study hangs on the understanding of these letters. The beautiful forms of the letters are also hidden in the grasses along the riverbank. The bells at the bottom of the breastplate call us to the Five Books of Moses.