For the first time in decades, the Tree of Life Congregation dedicated 14 new Torah covers for every day use and for the High Holidays. Two Judaica artists were commissioned to create Judaica heirlooms that depict tenets of Judaism and the rich history of the Tree of Life Congregation.

Jeanette Kuvin Oren a renowned Judaica artist of Woodbridge, CT ,was commissioned to create seven covers for the Tree Torahs. She ingeniously recreated seven of the spectacular stained glass windows in the Tree of Life Sanctuary. Each Torah cover is silk, features the exact colors and designs of the window and has the embroidered name of the Donor Family in silver thread.

The generous families who contributed the everyday Torah covers are the Joel Coslov Family, Ruth Zittrain, Herbert Mendelsohn, Joyce Levenson Offerman, Carole and Harvey Wolsh, Allen Cousin and the Tree of Life Sisterhood.

In addition, new covers were commissioned for the High Holidays. Reeva Shaffer, of Oakton, VA, designed sleek, modern covers that reflect the themes of the holy days while capturing the texture and depth that modern covers bring to the Aren Kodesh. The High Holiday covers are made of white pique fabric and trimmed in silver silk ribbons with the Hebrew themes and the Donor Family names painted in silver fabric paint on the front.

The Joel Coslov Family, Ruth Zittrain, Dr. Howard Elson, Robbie Markovitz, Judah Samet, the Seymour Sikov Family and the Tree of Life Sisterhood each contributed the High Holiday covers.

The High Holiday covers were dedicated at the end of the Torah service on the first day of Rosh Hashana. Rabbi Stephen Listfield brought the donor families to the Bimah , paraded the Torahs for the Congregation to see and returned the newly dressed Torahs to the Ark.

The everyday covers were dedicated during Simchat Torah Services when Rabbi Listfield brought all the tribute families to the Bimah to display the covers while holding all seven Torahs. The Donor Families, along with many members of the congregation, carried the newly dressed Torahs around the Pervin Chapel for the festive occasion.

This momentous event culminates eighteen months of congregational life cycle events and transitions that included the addition of a new Endowment Hallway, a President’s Gallery, the renovation of the Robinson Pavilion, the creation of an accessible Sanctuary Bimah, the retirement and Emeritus status of Rabbi Alvin K. Berkun as well as his investiture as the President of the Rabbinical Assembly and the installation of Rabbi Stephen Listfield.

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