The Ark	The Pews	The Bima	The Chapel
(Click on photos to enlarge)

The Joan and Stanley Golder Chapel and foyer were a gift to Temple Jeremiah by the Golders in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary. The placement and design of the Chapel and entry were the inspiration of Chicago architect H. Gary Frank. The goal was to create a versatile space with a warm, intimate atmosphere, which could be used by one person for meditation or by 100 for worship or the observance of life cycle events.

Congregants are welcome to come and visit our beautiful chapel for reflection and meditation.

The Chapel was dedicated on February 7, 1993 and was chosen by the American Institute of Architects Design Award Jury to receive the prestigious 1995 AIA Religious Art & Architecture Design Award.

Interior
The interior of the Chapel was designed to evoke an inspirational feeling and express the importance and power of the Torah. The main focus is the south wall and the ark, above which appear these words from the Book of Jeremiah: The Voice of Rejoicing, the Voice of Happiness. This phrase appears in all Jewish wedding ceremonies.

The Ark
Designer Dakota Jackson was commissioned to plan the ark, eternal light, lectern, bima chairs and pews. The ark appears to be embracing the Torah. The ark doors which create this embrace are made of Australian lacewood on the left and African mahogany on the right. The interior of the ark is lined with parchment, similar to that used in the Torah. Above the ark, one sees a blue semicircle dotted with gold pieces of Venetian glass representing the night sky. The billowing canopy protecting the ark, which is seemingly suspended in space, is reminiscent of the tents in the desert. The slender pin upon which the ark seems to be balanced symbolizes faith.

Facing the ark, one sees the large-scale stone wall, accentuated with a skylight above, allowing natural light to fill the space. The eternal light is supported by a branch entwined with almond leaves. This is a continuum from the Book of Jeremiah which tells the story of Jeremiah and the almond tree. The acoustically designed Chapel is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, audio/visual systems and an electronic organ.