Members of a historic Hampstead synagogue gathered on Sunday morning to celebrate the 100th birthday of a handmade ark.
The ark, which houses the Adath Israel synagogue’s torah scrolls, was built by a master craftsman named David Kirshenberg who was a member of the synagogue when it was located in the Mile End, according to member and former MNA Lawrence Bergman.
“The Jewish people use the expression very often ‘l’dor va dor, from generation to generation,’ and today, we’re celebrating the many generations involved with the synagogue,” he said. “For example, my granddaughter, who will be here today, is a fifth generation (member of the synagogue). It’s in living life, in living colour, we’re seeing a community celebrate from generation to generation.”
The ark was recently restored to its original condition after Kirshenberg’s great-grandson passed by the synagogue and asked for it to be refurbished.
