Many milestones have marked the more than thirty-five years of Beth-El’s history. Gradually, our Congregation has moved forward, each time striving to reach additional heights. When our sanctuary was completed in 1949, we began to dream about completing it with stained-glass windows. Today, as we dedicate these windows we mark the culmination of many years of planning ­the distillation of the ideas and suggestions of a host of professional and lay lead­ers and committee members-and the generous commitment of those members who have stepped forward so graciously to underwrite the project. Special tribute is due those whose efforts have been particularly noteworthy.

Our former Rabbi, Dr. Jacob Milgrom, who later selected the passages from the writings of the Prophets from which the artistic representations are created, guided your committee in its decision to adopt the Prophets as a theme for the windows. We acknowledge gratefully Rabbi Milgrom's contribution to our effort.

The transformation of the thematic scheme into an artistic creation required the joint effort of artist and artisan. Mr. A. Raymond Katz, the distinguished Jewish artist, whose work has been familiar to Beth-El for many years, for it was he who had earlier designed the stained-glass windows over the inner and outer doors of the Synagogue, created the pictorial representations. Several years ago, the talented Mrs. Stephen Kayser, wife of the then curator of the Jewish Museum, designed the beautiful "Burning Bush" window, which was the first of our series. The conversion of the artists’ drawings into the magnificent finished windows required months of careful effort by the skilled artisans of the J. & R. Lamb Studios of Tenafly, New Jersey.

In the preparation of this booklet describing the windows, your Committee is indebted to our Rabbi, Dr. Myron Berman, for the introduction and the descriptive comments accompanying the pictures. The beautiful photographs required many hours of painstaking effort by Mr. Albert Smith. Mrs. Seymour Weiss and Messrs. Irving Derfel and Joseph S. Mason added the artistic grace and technical skill, which are reflected in this publication. The booklet was underwritten by the Foundation Committee out of funds received from the sub­scribers to dedicatory units, and from a grant memorializing the late Annie and Samuel Gordon.

In the ongoing work of the Beth-El Foundation Committee, the completion of a project such as the Stained Glass Windows gives us renewed strength to go forward with new ventures, each of which has as its objective the spiritual and material building of our Congregation. Your Committee invites inquiries about available present and future memorials and grants.

THE BETH-EL FOUNDATION COMMITTEE

Co-Chairmen, Max O. Laster and Irwin A. Schapiro

RICHMOND , VIRGINIA
November 20, 1966
7 Kislev 5727

West Side

ISAIAH

SECOND ISAIAH

(The Burning Bush)

JEREMIAH

AMOS-JONAH

HABAKKUK

ZEPHANIAH

East Side

HAGGAI-ZECHARIAH

EZEKIEL

OBADIAH

MICAH-NAHUM

HOSEA-JOEL

MALACHI

ELIJAH