Stained Glass Window Restoration Project – Phase 1

Stained Glass Window Restoration Project – Phase 1

The restoration and repair of three of our eighteen stained glass windows began on Monday, May 20. The scaffolding came down on Friday, May 24, and our windows will spend the summer being restored. Decals will be installed for the duration of the repair, and our windows will be re-installed in time for High Holy Days.

With great appreciation to Jack Menashe, current chair of the Building and Grounds Committee, historic architectural consultant and congregant Henry Kunowski, Mark New, former chair of the B & G Committee, Brad Tonkin, board liaison, and a very dedicated committee, we have been working on a campus-wide capital improvements and long-term maintenance inventory for the past several years. They have identified and presented a list of the many deferred maintenance projects to the board.

With the board’s approval, we began our first restoration project this month – the restoration and repair of three of our eighteen magnificent stained glass windows in the main sanctuary. These are the middle three long windows on the south wall, facing Flanders Street. They depict Rosh Hashanah, the Tribes of Levi and Judah, and the Patriarch Jacob. This middle window is designated as the “Fellowship Window,” being gifted to CBI by Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and St. Mary’s Cathedral upon moving to the northwest neighborhood. This expression of friendship and welcome is symbolized by the clasped hands in the lower portion of the panel. It is the goal of the B & G Committee to complete the other two sets of long windows on the south side over the next two years. These are the windows which sustain the most weather and are in urgent need of restoration. The north side, the windows facing Glisan Street, do not require repair at this time.

David Schlicker Stained Glass Studio is restoring our windows. David Schlicker is a noted stained glass artisan, with over 30 years of experience in stained glass restoration and repair. David is an adjunct professor of historic stained glass preservation at the University of Oregon and a member of the Stained Glass Association of America. This will be about a three month process. The scaffolding went up on May 20, 2013 and the windows were carefully removed and transported to his studio. While the repair takes place, artistic decals replicating stained glass have been put in place. (see photo on right)

This is done for both the aesthetics and disbursement of the light coming through the windows. Mr. Schlicker promises to have phase one of the stained glass window project completed by the end of August, so that our newly restored windows will be in place before Rosh Hashanah.

Funds for this restoration come from our building fund. We are fortunate to have had these funds in place so we can act quickly to ensure the stability of our beautiful temple. These improvements are made possible by Harold and Arlene Schnitzer’s previous $100,000 donation to our restoration fund, the incredibly generous bequest from Jack Neustadter, and you, our membership, for contributing to the building fund upon joining our community. We recognize and thank all of you for being a part of our caring community and certainly welcome support from everyone – as CBI belongs to all of us.

Window # 1, Given in loving memory of Sigmund and Clara Heilner
Window # 2, Given to us by Trinity and St Mary’s Cathedral
Window # 3, Given in Memory of Harold Aaron Meier

This Group was also named for the generous donation from the Schnitzer Family at the time of the Schnitzer Family Center’s dedication.