In the winter of 2023, Anshe Chesed Temple was damaged by fire, requiring extensive restoration. During this period, the synagogue relocated services and programs to a community room, an ordinary space that needed to function as a spiritual home for its congregation.

The synagogue’s director invited Nancy Schwartz-Katz to reimagine the room’s windows in a way that would create warmth, meaning, and a sense of sacredness. What initially appeared to be a straightforward solution was complicated by structural limitations within the existing windows. Undeterred, Schwartz-Katz approached the challenge conceptually. Using technology, she translated an original artwork into custom decorative window coverings spanning a 15-by-53-foot expanse. Her art transformed the room into a luminous, uplifting environment, restoring a sense of spirituality, continuity, and welcome for all who gathered there.