Sunday, September 6, 2009

Selma's Churches, The Story of Ruth in Stained Glass



The story of Ruth in the Old Testament has always been among my favorite, and the scene where she gathers grain is beautifully depicted in this stained-glass window at Temple Mishkan Israel. After Ruth's husband died, she followed her mother-in-law to the land of Judah, telling her, "Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; Your people shall be my people, and your God will be my God."

Photograph by Christine Weerts

More information about Temple Mishkan Israel can be found HERE.

9 comments:

Stefan Jansson said...

I have never read that book, but the glass work here looks very good.

Lowell said...

This is one gorgeous piece of stained glass. And I agree about the story of Ruth.

Is this a Messianic congregation?

Janet said...

Hi Jacob,
The temple is not messianic, and there has been no local rabbi since the mid-70s. There is still a small Jewish community here which maintains the building along with friends of Temple Mishkan Israel. Jewish settlers came to Selma in the 1800s and contributed greatly to its business and civic life.

Lowell said...

Thanks for the info. I've read a bit about the Jewish community in Selma previously.

Isn't this the congregation that offered $50,000 to any Jewish family that would move to Selma and become part of the congregation?

So sad there's no rabbi.

Janet said...

Jacob, You may know more about this congregation than I do! My info is from a booklet on Selma's churches, "Historic Churches of Selma Prior to 1925."
More about its history can be found at http://www.jewishjournal.com/travel/article/saving_the_south_20030117/

Lowell said...

Thanks for the link. Very interesting!

Hilda said...

The stained glass window is beautiful!
I don't think I'll ever be as obedient a daughter-in-law as Ruth though. ;)

marley said...

Wonderful window. The colours and all the details are amazing.

Rose said...

That is really one beautiful stained glass window!