A History of Central Synagogue’s Bimah Chairs

On September 11, 2009, Central Synagogue will dedicate new bimah chairs, a gift from Nancy Fisher and Marc Kirschner in honor of Dr. Janice Gabrilove, whose mother Hilda Gabrilove worked with other members of the Synagogue’s Sisterhood on the needlepoint covering of the current chairs in the 1970s.

Nancy Fisher, a longtime member and avid needlepointer, describes the upcoming dedication as “the culmination of the unique intersection of my love for Central Synagogue, my love for needlepointing, my life-threatening bout with Lymphoma, extraordinary care from Dr. Gabrilove and return to good health.”

Nancy, who began battling cancer in the winter of 2008, spent many days and nights under Dr. Gabrilove’s care at Mount Sinai Hospital. There, Dr. Gabrilove learned that Nancy enjoyed needlepoint. She shared that her mother, Hilda Gabrilove, had also pursued the hobby. At the time, Nancy did not know of Hilda Gabrilove’s connection to the bimah chairs.

Soon after that time, Central Synagogue began plans for restoring the chairs, which had been damaged in the fire. Nancy and Marc decided to donate eight brand new chairs in memory of Hilda Gabrilove and in honor of Nancy’s physician Dr. Janice Gabrilove so that the Gabrilove family name would remain associated with the new chairs.

In honor of this occasion, Central Synagogue Archivist Anne Mininberg has prepared the following historical account of the current bimah chairs.

The chairs with a carved lion head design have been on the bimah of Central Synagogue since the building was consecrated in 1872. It is my instinct, based on some knowledge of furniture styles and the archival material about Central’s early history, that these chairs were purchased in the 1860s by Central Synagogue’s predecessor congregation, Ahawath Chesed, founded in 1846.

Ahawath Chesed purchased and adapted a church at Avenue C and Fourth Street in the 1860s. It was their premises until 1872 when they moved to their present location on 55th Street and Lexington Avenue, the current building, which was built for them and designed by the architect, Henry Fernbach in 1869.

In addition to the carved lion chairs, there are four armchairs, which were designed to be part of the overall architecture and Fernbach’s decorative Moorish Revival style. The carving on the crest rail of the chairs replicates the designs surrounding their setting on the bimah. The alternating interlaced leaf pattern directly relates to the motifs on the cast-iron columns of the bimah arch, the carving on the wood ark columns and on the ark doors. The ark, designed by Henry Fernbach, was made by the Pottier and Stymus Co. in New York.

These four chairs have been on the bimah since as long as anyone can remember. I believe they were there at or shortly after the consecration of the synagogue in 1872.

Both styles of chairs have needlepoint covering made by the Sisterhood members in the 1970s.

Update: In October 2009, Central Synagogue gifted one of the chairs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their permanent collection.

Photos: Max W. Orenstein/Central Synagogue