George Stein
I gained my experience
with brass artwork when the South Brisbane Synagogue was burned to the
ground by arsonists. Among its ruins I found the brass Menorah (7 branch
candelabra) which had adorned the Synagogue walls since it was built in
1916, melted beyond recognition. I saved the bits and pieces.
When the new synagogue was rebuilt 25 years ago, I decided to
reconstruct the bits and pieces, from my memory and a picture I found
with the Menorah on it. I had my own full workshop facilities, and after
a lot of long nights, patiently and slowly succeeded in the
reconstruction. Today, again it adorns the walls of our rebuilt
synagogue; the only relic which once belonged to the old one.
After my retirement from my work, in later years, I decided to design
and make different versions in both traditional and contemporary design.
There are two basic designs. One has seven branches (Menorah) and the
other eight with a servant lighter (Hanukkiah). They fulfil two
different functions in the Jewish religion. The Menorah is the State of
Israel official emblem and was always placed on the altar of the inner
sanctum of the temple. The Hanukkiah is used during the Festival of
Light held annually in December.
Brass is an "Owner-friendly" and warm decorative metal. It can be
polished to a high degree of shine and will maintain its lustre for a
long time when treated properly to preserve it. My pieces only need to
be wiped with a cloth and occasionally washed in warm soapy water.
