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16a Courtyard, Bima and Arches
16b “Aron Kodesh” Chapel Ark and Amud (Reading Table)
16a Courtyard, Bima and Arches
Unveiled June 2021, Dedicated June 3, 2022
Architects: PFVS. Clarence T. Vinson AIA, NCARB Principal, and
Jae Chong AIA, NCARB
Adam Ardoin, Landscape Studio Group, Project Lead
Media: Texturized Poured Concrete Aggregate Mix, Galvanized Steel, Ipe Wood, Galvanized, Painted Steel
Media (Arches): Gluelam and Galvanized Steel
Gift of Lonnie Cooper
A casual remark made by Rabbi Segal at the Wednesday morning minyan regarding the hope to one day hold services outdoors was all it took to spark Lonnie Cooper’s genuine interest and desire to make an outdoor chapel a reality for the congregation. Thanks to Lonnie’s great generosity of spirit and resource, the visioning, designing, planning, and eventually, construction began, and in Summer 2021, we unveiled this amazing outdoor chapel and multi-use space. It is worth noting that, with the ongoing cessation of indoor gatherings due the Covid pandemic, the Cooper Outdoor Chapel proved to be a timely and vitally important addition to Sinai’s campus. Beautiful during the day as well as at night when the arches are lit, Cooper Chapel is a spectacular setting for worship services, educational and youth experiences, social programs, life cycle celebrations, community functions, receptions and more.
Reflection from Lonnie Cooper:
The vision of what our Outdoor Chapel could be was inspired by my past and my hope for tomorrow. I was able to experience the creation of a synagogue in Waycross, a small town in South Georgia, where I was born and raised. My Jewish education, based upon more traditional teachings, came from my family and from growing up with my grandfather. He created a synagogue so that our community would have a place to pray, but also as a place for personal reflection. I came to understand and appreciate that, while small in size, the building was incredibly large in spirit and importance. The creation of this outdoor chapel, as an extension of our amazing temple, was informed by the Jewish values instilled within me during my youth as well as those I have learned in our synagogue.
The beauty of our outdoor chapel is its ability to provide a meaningful setting for so many events and experiences. It has the flexibility to be staged for either a casual or formal setting, a large or small group, a Shabbat service, weekday minyan, or personal spiritual experience, an educational speaker or an outdoor concert. Being outside in an open environment extends the opportunity to feel closer to nature, the universe and to God.
16b “Aron Kodesh” Chapel Ark and Amud (Reading Table)
Unveiled and Dedicated: June 3, 2021
Designed by Sinai Fine Arts Committee members, Rabbi Ron Segal,
and Georgia Metal Sculptor, Michael Dillon
Media: Aluminum with Brass Trim, Walnut, Wire Mesh
Gift of Lonnie Cooper
The design for the Cooper Chapel Ark was inspired by the theme of David’s harp, evident in other settings and spaces throughout the synagogue campus, as well as by our community’s appreciation of music and song. The visual image of harp strings is also artistically captured in the design of the Amud (reading table) as well as in the metal cables that connect the two dramatic arches and which, metaphorically, also create a bridge from the main sanctuary to the Freeman Chapel. The space seamlessly integrates the shared quest for spirituality with nature and the stunning backdrop of Temple Sinai’s beautiful grounds and acreage.
Reflection from Cathy Gottlieb:
The design of the ark and amud for our outdoor chapel is intended to capture the theme of a harp, seen in several places at Temple Sinai. The first harp one comes across can be found in the Lehrman Rabbinic Garden across from the entrance of the temple, where a statue of a harp was placed in loving memory of Sinai’s founding rabbi, Rabbi Richard Lehrman. Walking through the synagogue, one can also see that each of the door plaques features a harp, and the theme is again reflected in the structure of the chapel itself by the wires which connect the two arches. By continuing with this artistic design feature, the ark and amud symbolically convey the idea that music, song and prayer all go hand in hand.
