Israeli artist’s stained glass creations bring life, light to community

Inside the sanctuary at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (AJRCA), a transdenominational seminary located in Koreatown, the atmosphere is rather dark and somber. Except, that is, for the brightly colored ner tamid above the ark.

Made of stained glass, the 60-pound umbrella-shaped lamp depicts the tribes of Israel, with vivid hues and familiar symbols (menorah, shofar, Star of David); a menagerie of birds and animals; and women of the Bible, including Esther, Deborah, Judith and Ruth.

The work is the creation of Revital Goldreich, a former accountant who began working with stained glass in 1998. “I have always been interested in the arts,” said the Israeli-born artist and educator, who previously served as director of visual arts at Leo Baeck Temple’s religious school.

She had dabbled in drawing and ceramics as a hobby, but when her friend Sheila Brossman, a glass artist, gave Goldreich her first lesson, she decided to become a full-time artist with this as her medium.

“The serenity and exhilaration I experienced with stained glass surpassed anything I’ve ever felt before,” she said.  

“Using paper, fabric, wood, clay, metal and glass was the starting point to bringing Bible stories and Jewish history to life and learning their lessons. But of all the materials I’ve touched and molded, glass has the most amazing effect on me,” Goldreich said. “Working with stained glass in three dimensions, making sure the artwork is not only pleasing and meaningful, but is also sturdy, durable and carries its own weight can be challenging.”

Goldreich, 55, donated her ner tamid piece to AJRCA, where she is working toward a master’s degree in Jewish studies, which she expects to complete in May 2017.

Revital Goldreich

“I like that it tells an important story. It has brought the room to life,” said Cantor Perryne Anker, associate dean of the cantorial school at AJRCA. “Unlike a lot of stained glass, it has life to it. It’s alive.”

Goldreich has done other public installations, including the Esther Kaleidoscope, a moving carousel-like sculpture depicting 36 scenes from the Book of Esther. It was displayed at the Alpert Jewish Community Center in Long Beach for Hadassah’s centennial celebration in 2012 and has been part of traveling exhibits since then. She also created an 18-branch, 6 1/2-foot-tall Chai Menorah that was installed at the Israeli-American Council’s Woodland Hills offices in May 2012. 

Her website (