It was early spring of 2023 when Beth El Congregation approached me with the opportunity to build a new Shulchan (reading table) for their main sanctuary.

I was immediately inspired by the beauty and scale of this space. We discussed the many requirements of the Shulchan, how it should function, how it should feel, and what it represents. 

Right away I knew we needed to create something spectacular, but more importantly it had to have harmony, and complement the space. After receiving the blessings from the clergy I was introduced to the concept of Hiddur Mitzvah. From what I understand it is in short, the commandment to make the ritual beautiful. 

Once we settled on a design, myself and my team did just that. We spent many months refining the design, and searching for the perfect materials, that I knew were essential to what this Shulchan would represent.

This was the first piece of commercial public facing work that I’ve undertaken. This is exciting to me, because it can be seen and enjoyed by thousands of people every year.

This was no ordinary reading table, it had to be engineered from the ground up, and meet the needs of the many rabbis, congregants, and children that use the space.

Materials: 18k gold plated custom crown handles, Ropey cherry wood, Black cherry wood, brass rod (inlay), baltic birch plywood (core) performance velvet, LED lights, tube steel (frame), Solid brass hinges, internal pulls, bullet catches, hidden wheel base

Table dimensions: 84” wide, 34-40” tall, 30” deep

Completed 2024’