New tree of life window graces B’nai Israel sanctuary

In the late '80s, when Geraldine Ensminger began her apprenticeship with McKeever Studio in Vallejo, her first assignment was to repair the stained glass windows at Congregation B'nai Israel.

The panels had been commissioned in the mid-1960s by Morris Zlot, a founding member of the synagogue, in memory of his wife, Isobelle. Zlot hired the studio to design and install the windows, which still grace the entrance to the sanctuary.

Since then, the original owner retired and Ensminger, now a stained glass artist of some note, took over the studio.

So when she was asked to design a new window for the synagogue's sanctuary, Ensminger accepted the assignment somewhat sentimentally. Plus, she now had years of experience to bring to the project.

The central theme of the window is the tree of life. On either side of the tree, Ensminger has placed a male and female bird to symbolize the continuation of life.

The new window, said congregation president Steve Harris, succeeded "in making our synagogue a more serene place of worship for this generation and future generations."

The $7,500 window was commissioned by congregants Harry and Helen Gray.

The Grays provided Ensminger with only very basic guidelines, then "they let me loose on it," she said. "I had a lot of fun with it."

The project took her 109 hours to complete, from sketch to installation. She used 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces of glass surrounded by sand in a special epoxy matrix, making the window virtually unbreakable.

"I learned a great deal doing this window, since it took a lot of research," said Ensminger, who is not Jewish. "I've done a lot of church windows, but this was the first time I have ever gotten to delve into Judaism. It was very educational for me and I gained a whole new appreciation."

She placed various Jewish symbols around the tree, including a wine goblet, "because the fruit of the vine is a double blessing -- a symbol of goodness and gladness, and the goblet welcomes the Sabbath," she said.

She also included a candle lamp, which "is lit to welcome the Sabbath, and gives light, God's first creation. It is also a symbol of life."

Other symbols include a Star of David, mezuzah, a seven-branched candelabra, a shofar and a Ten Commandments tablet. Ensminger thoroughly researched the significance of each before including them in her panel.

The Grays, members of the independent B'nai Israel since it was built 50 years ago, "wanted to do something for the synagogue," Helen Gray said. "We have a lot of roots there, and we thought this would add something to the beauty of the sanctuary. Geraldine Ensminger did a magnificent job."

Sources at the synagogue also say the new window has inspired a well-known San Francisco Jewish benefactor to donate two more windows to replace the remaining old opaque ones; negotiations are now in the works.