Torah Ark

This is a carved plaque section of a Torah ark, made in the late 19th or early 20th century, that was dismantled from a former Philadelphia synagogue.

Religious affiliation or connection to a religious group was an important social, economic, and ideological component of ethnic identity, especially for turn of the century America. Religious affiliation helped immigrants by welcoming them into the communities, assisting with their transition socially and economically.

Those practicing Judaism sought to create a balance between European traditions within a new American setting. By 1900 there was a large population of both reform and Orthodox Judaism. Decorative Torah arks such as this were found in synagogues around the country and are most likely a link to the elaborately carved decorations of their former synagogues in Europe.