Remodel leads to discovery of artistic history at Modesto’s Congregation Beth Shalom
A remodeling project at Congregation Beth Shalom uncovered a bit of history about some of the artwork in the Modesto synagogue.
Painted metal art on two of the windows was found to have been created by artist Victor Ries.
“It’s very stylized, very colorful artwork, one on the north side and one on the south side, inside the sanctuary,” CBS Rabbi Shalom Bochner said.
The works include Hebrew captions at the bottoms of the windows. The north window says “in a beginning,” Bochner said. The south wall window says “night and day.”
“These metal pieces have very unique styling ... it turns out all of this is the work of this significant artist,” he said.
In addition, Bochner believes wording above the synagogue’s wooden holy ark – the cabinet that holds Torah scrolls used for worship – was done by Ries. The ark has a burning bush motif with the Hebrew words for “and behold the shrub was totally aflame.” The artistic style of the wording is meant to invoke flames, he said.
Bochner is not certain but said it’s also possible Ries could have done metal work on the door of the ark.
According to the Artists of Sonoma California website, Ries (1907-2013) emigrated from Berlin to Northern California during World War II. He was a metal artist and teacher at the Pond Farm Artist Colony in Sonoma County and at Bay Area colleges, and is recognized in the Jewish-American Hall of Fame.
Bochner said Ries at some point was commissioned to do synagogue art.
“He ended up doing a lot of artwork for churches and synagogues,” he said. “There’s a short film about him and in the film you see our artwork leaning against the outside of the building before it was installed.
“He was likely here to have it installed. That’s the assumption, not 100 percent proven, but quite likely.”
While Bochner is not sure exactly when the artwork was installed at CBS, he said it’s been there for decades.
Artist experimented with lettering
Bochner said Ries was among the first artists to experiment with the shape of Hebrew letters.
“It’s a beautiful example of the kind of work he was uniquely engaged in in the ’50s and ’60s,” he said.
The connection to Ries was discovered when Doug Highiet, president of the congregation, made inquiries with fellow congregants about the artwork, Highiet said in an email. One led him to the late Aggie Anker.
“I contacted Aggie’s son Michael who then told me that his mother donated the metal art in honor of his father Bernie Anker,” he said.
The Ankers were longtime members of CBS and son Michael now lives in the Bay Area, according to Highiet.
Public will get a chance to view works
“It’s very beautiful to have (the artwork) not only back up but to know more about (Ries).” Bochner said.
The public will be able to see the artwork during the re-opening and dedication of the newly remodeled sanctuary and campus, according to a press release.
The public is invited to a Shalom Fest on Sunday, July 25, from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at CBS, 1705 Sherwood Ave. There will be concerts, deli sandwiches, a gift shop, a bake sale and tour of the refurbished sanctuary.
Prior, the congregation will host Shabbat Services on Friday, July 23, including a “Rock Shabbat” starting at 6 p.m., followed by refreshments and a free concert. On Saturday, July 24, services start at 10 a.m., followed by lunch in the social hall. Shabbat Services require an RSVP and space is limited; CBS members will be given priority, according to the release. See www.cbsmodesto.org for more.
Masks may be required for the events, Bochner said, based on where the county’s pandemic numbers are at that time.
Much remodeled at CBS
The remodeled sanctuary has a lowered and fully accessible bimah, the platform from which the Torah is chanted, and a handcrafted eternal lamp imported from Israel hangs above it. In addition, the original burning bush artwork has been restored on its holy ark.
Imported Jerusalem stone, a state-of-the-art audio and video system and new flexible seating has been added, the release said. The social hall, lobby, bathrooms and a smaller sanctuary also have been remodeled.
The synagogue was built in 1963. The remodeling project began in April 2020, according to the press release.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
