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Nov. 22, 2013
A chair above others
Provence shuls offer a peek at a rare tradition.
DEBORAH RUBIN FIELDS
If you don’t look up, you’ll miss it. There, some 20 feet above the sanctuary floor, a fancy chair hangs. Not only is it mounted close to the ceiling, but this elegantly upholstered chair is built to fit a child no more than five years old. What is behind this strange custom? Why all the bother for a seat that most of us would overlook?
The chair described here is called Elijah’s Chair. In Jewish legends and Scripture, Elijah the Prophet is a kind of miracle-worker. The hope is that when an eight-day-old baby is brought to the synagogue to be circumcised, Elijah will appear, offering his protection. The chair is symbolically included in this ceremony, which marks the Jewish newborn’s entrance into Judaism, the time when he will receive his name.
This particular type of chair is found in three old Provence synagogues: in Carpentras, in Cavaillon and in Nimes.
After obtaining pontifical protection from the persecution it suffered in the Kingdom of France, the Jewish community settled in the Comtat Venaissin in 1394. Unfortunately, once the papacy left Avignon, the Provence Jewish communities pretty much scattered. Today, Nimes is the only regularly functioning religious centre; in Cavaillon, the municipality maintains the synagogue as a museum and, in Carpentras, the Jewish community is so small that it gathers for prayer services only once a month.
In Carpentras’ restored 18th-century synagogue (the earlier synagogue had been built in 1367), the miniature chair has its own elevated red niche in the faux marble wall. It is upholstered in what now looks like well-worn red velvet in the style of Louis XV. The arms, legs and frame of the chair are finished to look like carved gold.
The tiny armless chair at the colorful Cavaillon Synagogue is likewise covered in red velvet, with a gold leaf frame. While it does not have its own niche, it stands on an elaborate blue pedestal.
The dark wood-paneled sanctuary in Nimes has been in existence since 1791. Mounted in the front right corner, this small chair is less ornate than the other two chairs. It is covered in brown cloth, probably velvet. The chair’s frame is unadorned wood.
To get a feel for what life might have been like in these medieval Jewish communities, readers might enjoy The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears (Riverhead Trade, 2003). And, if you’re planning to travel to the south of France, the contact in Nimes is Paul Benguigui (04-66-29-51-81); for Carpentras, you can book a guided tour through the tourism office ([email protected]); and, for Cavaillon, the e-mail is [email protected].
Unfortunately, having a chair for Elijah was a charming curiosity that has all but disappeared from our midst. According to Hebrew University Prof. Shalom Sabar, Yemenite Jews also had a custom of hanging a chair for Elijah and, in Morocco, during Sukkot, Elijah’s Chair was apparently hung on the wall of the family’s tabernacle or sukkah.
Deborah Rubin Fields is an Israel-based features writer. She is also the author of Take a Peek Inside: A Child’s Guide to Radiology.
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