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DESCRIPTION OF TALLIT
The name tallit is derived from the Hebrew-Aramaic word meaning "to cover" and is one of the best known woven Jewish textiles for personal use. It has been traditionally worn by men during prayer and is now increasingly worn by women as well. The tallit is a four-cornered garment and has three components. The first is the shawl itself. There are very few restrictions on the make-up of a tallit. It must have four corners and may not be made out of fiber combining linen and wool. Traditionally the colors used were cream with black stripes. There is also a long association with a sky blue color. Many beautiful color combinations are used in weaving the tallit today. The second is the Atarah, the neckband. Since the tallit is a ritual object, it must be used the same way each time. Being rectangular in shape, the tallit must have some way to differentiate top from bottom and back from front. Therefore, the atarah is placed in the middle of the top on the side that shows. Meaning crown, the atarah has become a focus on many tallitot, which adds beauty and glorifies the tallit. The third and most important element of the tallit is found at each corner. Here are the fringes, called tzitzit. The tzitzit are gathered together during prayers to signify the presence of G-d at 'all four corners of the earth'. Each tzitzit is tied in a specific way, using a certain combination of knots and twists. |
Additions
to Blanche Beerman's
After learning of their fate I began thinking about what the Weaving Room could do to make them right. During 2003 I often thought about the additions that would be necessary, but never drew up a concrete plan. In May of 2004 Abe Beerman cornered me in the hallway at Beth Sholom and asked me to get started and "Please be ready for High Holy Days". Since this occurs in September, time was short. I spoke to many people about the project, went through many textile books, hit the Net, and finally referred to Exodus 39:2,3. "…And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue and the purple and in the scarlet…" That was the turning point as far as the color selection. But then I was told the passage actually refers to Ark Curtains slightly different from our Torah curtains. It seems vocabulary has been a problem with me during these Judaic textile years. Anyway I pushed ahead using the colors presented in Exodus since I felt the colors would be appropriate in the Beth Sholom Sanctuary. Blanche already wove with the blue and scarlet so my task was simple use the gold and purple. I didn't even have to beat the gold into plates or cut it into wires. I sampled many warps. None too exciting. Some down right ugly. Tried implementing the suggestions of others. Nothing sparked my interest. Frustrated and with that deadline looming, I leashed up the dogs and went to Stackhouse Park for a walk. Then it hit me. I was relying too strongly on other's suggestions as to what should be accomplished. It was someone else's vision, not mine. I ran home, well I actually walked a little faster. I tore the latest warp attempt off the loom to start fresh. This is the point when the project became a pleasure to work on. For the warp I used a mellow white wool to blend with Blanche's work. I added a fine gold metallic thread here and there. It is in there. You just have to get up close to find the gold. After all I describe Blanche's work as being humble so I did not want anything too sparkly. I warped a pattern I was familiar with and decided to weave with a Harrisville Blackberry (the purple choice). I wanted a frame to surround and thus enlarge each panel that Blanche wove. I also wanted to include all of the Tallit weavers so a simple one-shuttle weave was necessary. The pattern used was an 8 harness Braided Twill that looks complicated, but once the loom is warped it weaves quickly and easily. This was important because we needed 8 yards and had a deadline. The weaving progressed at a quick pace. Each Tallit weaver from the congregation was excited to be able to work on such a meaningful project. I labeled the area each person worked on so a schematic could be drawn up indicating people's work so future generations would be able to see what section their parent/grandparent added to the Torah Curtain. Once the weaving was removed from the loom our seamstress joined Blanche's weaving with our new. Our Torah Curtains will be rededicated at Beth Sholom in August 2004
- Mr. Abe Beerman for his encouragement and support in adding to Blanche's original project. I'll miss our talks. Expect to find a Shoo Fly pie on your doorstep sometime soon. - Judith Finkelstein who had the confidence I could accomplish our many weaving projects. Without her there would be no Beth Sholom Weaving Room. - All the weavers who helped with the additions: Judith Finkelstein, Seymour Finkelstein, Leah Glass, Stacy Glass, Rema Goldblatt, and Amanda Yannella. - Rabbi Brandwein for his continued support of all our weaving projects. - Joe Canini for his cheerful help in hanging the curtains - many times - so I could check on the measurements. - Cathy McClarren who readily gave encouragement and a smile and for her wonderful calligraphy skills. - Dorothy Fyock for her sewing skills needed to reconstruct the curtains. - My sons, Adam for his skills needed to beam the warp, build my looms, do all my photography, and get me out of computer messes; and to Chad for his design insight. Sandie Hinderliter
Calligraphy
by Cathy McClarren |
