A Torah Ark curtain(Hebrew: parochet) is hanged in synagogues in front of the aron ha-kodesh ("holy ark"), which houses the Torah scrolls. It is an equivalent of the curtain which, in the Tent of the Congregation (Tabernacle) and later in the Jerusalem Temple, separated the place called the "Holy of Holies". The Ark of the Covenant was kept in this room. When the Torah Ark curtain is drawn aside, the faithful stand up and sing: "Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered" (Lb 10,35).
The altar curtains are most often decorated with embroidered lions and Tablets of the Ten Commandments. Menorahs, the Ark of the Covenant and the Star of David also appear, among many other symbols (Judaica ze zbiorów Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie, ed. E. Martyna, Warsaw 1993, p. 41).
The District Museum in Leszno has one Torah Ark curtain in its collection, presumably originating from eastern or south-eastern Poland. It is made of burgundy-colored velvet and trimmed with gold haberdashery. Inserts made of white satin, appliques, and raised embroidery are placed on a cardboard and cotton backing. Colorful tinsel, sequins, and glass imitations of colored stones were applied to decorate the fabric. The stitches were done using spun cotton, purl, and metallic threads. In the centre of the Torah Ark curtain, there is an inscription in Hebrew: "Donated by Mrs. Eite, daughter of Mr. Manes, [and] Mr. Zeew Dow Bil[...], son of Aaron Yeshaya". The text includes the date of the Torah Ark curtain's creation according to the Jewish calendar: "(5)686", which corresponds to 1926. The inscription is flanked by two columns and surrounded by a semi-circular vine with stylised pomegranates. Above them, two lions hold the Tablets of the Ten Commandments, with the initial words of the Ten Commandments. The top is adorned with a large crown, and on its sides, there is an embroidered Hebrew inscription: "Crown of the Torah". The whole piece is enriched with sequins and colored glass beads.
The Torah Ark curtain was purchased for the collection in 2011 from pr. Szczepan Jan Szymander from Pruśce near Rogoźno Wielkopolskie. The owner did not have information about the origin of the item. The kaporet, a long lambrequin hung above the Torah Ark curtain, which symbolises the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, has not been preserved.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
