New light is being shed on the Judaic studies department at Binghamton University, as eight stained-glass window panels from Temple Beth El in Endicott, New York will be installed in its seminar room.
The building that housed the temple was foreclosed in June, and faculty from BU offered to take the windows after members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton and the local community expressed interest in their preservation. Each window is 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall.
The windows were part of the original infrastructure in Temple Beth El, which was constructed in 1949. It was turned into a dance studio in the early 1990s after the congregation dissolved, according to former Temple Beth El president Neisen Luks.
“It is important to preserve that portion of the Jewish community of Endicott which, at the time, in the 1940s and 50s, was a very vibrant commercial community,” Luks said. “This is a good way of remembering the community from an artistic standpoint. They provide a very unique Jewish adornment and decoration other than books.”
Randy Friedman, an associate professor of Judaic studies, said that since the Judaic studies department expanded this past summer to the 13th floor of the Library Tower, the windows would be a great addition.
“There’s a focus in the department on Judaism and Jewish life in America and the addition of these absolutely unique and gorgeous windows allows us to show students a part of Binghamton’s own Jewish history,” Friedman said.
He added that they are important because four faculty members conduct research that touches American Judaism and seeing these windows allows students to gain insight about the combination of cultures. He said anyone can learn about Jewish life in the United States by studying Jewish architecture.
“The symbols incorporated into the space mark it as American and Jewish,” Friedman said. “In the 1940s and 50s, there was a lot of synagogues built in Binghamton and the decisions of how they were laid out and decorated reflects the aspirations and customs of each community.”
The windows are currently in the process of being restored by Jim Johnson, who served as the campus carpenter before he retired. He said they were in sad shape when he received them and had to track down glass that would match. He is in the process of matching this glass to the broken and cracked pieces in the windows, as well as replacing some of the glass and cleaning it.
“They’re important religious artifacts that were made almost 100 years ago and really need to be preserved,” Johnson said. “They’re magnificent. The colors on them are wild, almost psychedelic and they would be an excellent learning tool.”
Alli Penfil, a senior majoring in political science, said that she is a Judaic studies minor and even though she does not have class in the room in which they will be displayed, she still thinks they are a great addition to the University.
“It shows the rich history of the Jewish community in Broome County and connects the University to the greater Jewish community in the area,” Penfil said.
The eight windows are set to be installed by May 2017, and the Judaic studies department plans to hold a reception for them.