Spirituality
Mega Mezuzah
Temple Kol Ami dedicates potentially record-breaking mezuzah.
Woodworker Tal Siegmann and Kol Ami's director of education Andee Liberman, on left, with cantorial
soloist and teacher Tiffany Steyer and Rabbi Norman Roman.
Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News
M
ost mezuzot are small enough
to fit in the palm of your hand.
But the specially handcrafted
wooden mezuzah that greets people at
Temple Kol Ami's religious school in West
Bloomfield is large enough for even the
smallest hands to reach. The six-foot, 150-
pound, one-of-a-kind creation may even
be big enough to break a world record.
Currently, Israeli artist Avraham-Hersh
Borshevsky is listed in the 2009 Guiness
Book of World Records as the creator of
the world's largest mezuzah. His record-
setting work of art is three feet, seven
inches long.
"We've exceeded that:' said Tal
Siegmann, a professional woodworker
who owns Design Wood in Oak Park.
He custom made the supersized mezu-
zah, along with a group of 14 eighth-
grade students. The project, funded by
a grant from the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, took several weeks
to complete. The group plans to contact
Guiness Book judges with the hope of set-
ting a new record.
"The kids were great to work with; they
were very enthusiastic about the project:'
said Siegmann. "They know this is some-
thing that will be there for years to come."
Careful Construction
The mezuzah was built for the temple's
A34
March 12 a 2009
brand new religious school building,
which serves 148 students from pre-
school to high school. The two-story
facility opened in September 2008 after a
successful fundraising campaign and con-
struction project. The giant mezuzah was
constructed in stages; from the base to the
outer shell decorated with inlayed maple,
walnut and mahogany veneers. The finish-
ing touches were completed in Siegmann's
workshop.
"I didn't know about this type of art
and what you can create with wood:' said
Claire Taigmann, 13, of West Bloomfield,
one of the students who worked on the
project. "I'm used to working with char-
coal and paint. This is really amazing how
much patience it takes and how careful
you have to be."
The mezuzah's design depicts a dove
with an olive branch, part of the Shema
prayer and inlays that represent the
Western Wall in Jerusalem.
"It represents a Jewish home and this
is our first religious school home said
Andee Liberman of West Bloomfield,
Temple Kol Ami's educational director. "It
was built on such a large scale so any per-
son who walks into our building has the
capacity to reach it!'
Heartfelt Dedication
The completed project was unveiled for
the first time March 1 during a dedication
ceremony at the temple. About 75 people
gathered to say prayers, admire the group's
Tal Siegmann with Rebecca Lambert, 14, of West Bloomfield
Tal Siegmann with Michael Kach, 14, of
Farmington Hills
Twins Jeremy and Michael Kach check
hard work and touch the mezuzah for
the first time. A scribe was also on hand
to teach the children how to write with
a quill and ink. Participants got to place
their own prayers and messages inside the
mezuzah along with a kosher scroll before
it was sealed and hung in the building's
entrance.
"I put a quote from a prayer book
inside said Taigmann. "People wrote mes-
sages to God expressing what they want
for the world. I think a lot of kids really
took it to heart."
Siegmann, who has participated in
other projects across the community, said
what struck him most was seeing the look
in the children's eyes during the ceremony.
Taigmann, who just celebrated her bat-
mitzvah at Temple Kol Ami in November,
said the mezuzah is something she'll
always be proud of.
"It's so beautiful;' she said. "I'm glad I
helped make something that's making our
community more beautiful. I think it'll be
really cool to come back in 15 years and
see what I did in eighth grade." ---
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out the mezuzah.