Dimensions: 130 cm x 90 cm x 115 cm high
Materials: Mahogany

This Torah reading table, or Bimah, was commissioned for a synagogue in the city of Modi’in, Israel. Modi’in is the birthplace and of the famous Maccabee brothers who in ancient times raised the rebellion against the Greek ruler Antiochus. The Maccabees eventually succeeded in freeing Jerusalem from foreign rule, and the holy temple, which had been desecrated, was once again made pure.
Then the Menorah was re-kindled using only the tiny amount of pure olive oil which remained, this lasting a miraculous eight days.

The sculpted panels of this Bimah recount the story of Chanukah, beginning with the desecration of the temple, brought about by brute military force. The back panel depicts the ever-present threat of the Hellenistic power with its superior armor. The third panel shows the two civilizations facing off as the winds of war begin to favor the Jewish people. Finally, on the front, the oppressors have been vanquished. The Torah is upheld, and once again flame is lit in the Menorah.