The world's largest Aron HaKodesh has been completed at the Yeshivas Ateret Shlomo campus in Rishon LeZion. This monumental project is entirely handcrafted.
Key Features of the Ark:
The ark spans an area of 120 square meters, measuring 20 meters in length and 6.5 meters in height.
Crafted from over two tons of pure silver, it has gold-plated sections adorned in 24-karat gold.
At its center lies a meticulously constructed chamber for storing Sifrei Torahs, created by leading artisans from Udaipur, India.
The entrance to this chamber is embellished with a purple curtain woven with gold threads and embedded with precious stones, crafted over several months by top artists from Kashmir, India.
Surrounding the ark is a cast copper fence weighing four tons, produced in a specialized foundry in Stuttgart, Germany.
The construction took three and a half years, involving 350 artists from 12 countries across three continents. The components were transported via complex sea and air routes, overcoming logistical challenges, including threats from the Houthis and wartime conditions, to reach the yeshiva campus.
The project was fully funded by a Jewish-American philanthropist, a follower of the Bobov Hasidic dynasty, dedicated in memory of his revered teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam of Bobov, of blessed memory.
This inauguration ceremony included also a new Torah scroll, and was attended by thousands of yeshiva students, rabbis, and distinguished guests.
