All Ways and Always

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This mosaic was commissioned as a memorial to Beth Victor z"l. It was designed to fit around the double glass doors in the lobby which lead to an interior courtyard space.
The mosaic is 8 feet tall by 14 feet across.

Honoring Beth Victor z"l

Beth Victor z"l was a loving daughter, wife, mother, and Grammie. Dayenu! But Beth was so much more than that. Her smile lit up the room. Her caring and generosity transcended the usual. She was an avid lover of art and glass. Over the years, Adath Israel gave Beth both joy and comfort. This memorial embodies so many aspects of Beth's personality: beautiful, unique, and multifaceted. Her favorite prayer was l'dor v'dor which is carried out through the themes of this mosaic. Beth looked forward to the Jewish holidays every year, not just because of the religious significance, but also to pass down traditions to her children and grandchildren. We are honored to memorialize Beth in this way as this piece will be viewed from generation to generation.

About the Design

The form is designed as a huge tallit with an atarah (collar) in the top center and tzitzit (fringes) in the lower four corners. Set on to the tallit form is the view that one comes upon when exiting Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Museum. After absorbing the weight of the museum's mandate, one comes upon a breathtaking view of the land of Israel, filling one's soul with a sense of hope and passion for the future. Icons of the Jewish holidays around the year are positioned across the form.

The right vertical column features a 14 inch mezuzah with a hinged door which opens to reveal the Shema prayer parchment. Set opposite to the mezuzah, on the left vertical column, is the beautiful quote, "All Ways and Always," as an enduring tribute to love. This mosaic was made using hand blown glass shards, ceramic tile, abalone, snowflake obsidian, amethyst, citrine, carnelian, porphyry, lepidolite, hematite, and rhodonite.

About the Artist

Jonathan Mandell, MFA has been creating mosaics since 1990. His art can be seen publicly at Citizens Bank Park, the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia Family Court, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Dickinson College, the Alfred I. duPont Children's Hospital, Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

www.jonathanmandell.com

Panel Explanations from the Artist

	Torah: This panel depicts an open Torah scroll with the Hebrew: "l'dor va-dor." This translates to "from generation to generation." The Star of David is cut into the grout joints.
	Shabbat: Candles are lit as day becomes night. The flames were made using citrine. The nocturnal sky is snowflake obsidian. The candlestick holders are abalone.
	High Holidays: The shofar, made from a ram's horn, symbolizes the High Holidays, as it is blown during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. The shofar is depicted using abalone.
	Shavuot: This holiday is known as the day God gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The tablets are featured touching the peak of the mountain top. Fruits symbolize the first harvest that was traditionally brought to the Temple.
	Sukkot: The four species are considered as blessings from nature. The lulav is made using leaves from a date palm tree, a myrtle tree, and a willow tree. The etrog is the fruit from a citron tree, offering fragrance.
	Purim: Celebrates Queen Esther saving the Jewish people from destruction by the Persians. The holiday is celebrated by reading Megillat. Esther, wearing costumes, making noise with a gragger and enjoying hamentashen.
	Passover: The seder plate contains a shankbone, parsley, a leafy green, charoset (chopped fruits, nuts, and cinnamon mixed with wine), bitter herb, and egg. Matzah is represented in the center.
	Chanukah: Commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. The chanukiah was made using abalone and citrine. The nocturnal sky was rendered using snowflake obsidian. The ground plane is granite.