Beha’alotekha (בהעלותך – when you raise up)
Numbers 8:1–12:16 and Zechariah 2:14–4:7
The parashah begins with the command given to Aaron to light the menorah and the consecration of the Levites. In the haftarah, the prophet Zechariah describes the vision of the menorah and the consecration of the High Priest Jeshua.
Psalm 29:2 (Kabbalat Shabbat [1])
הָבוּ לַה’, כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ; הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה’, בְּהַדְרַת-קֹדֶשׁ
Give the Lord the glory due His name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Built in 1964, the Maguen David Synagogue in Mexico is an architectural work designed by Mathias Goeritz [2], blending modernism with Jewish tradition. Its imposing Star of David, supported by two monumental columns, immediately catches the eye. Inside, the inscription of Psalm 29:2 on the women’s balcony faces a large menorah placed near a semicircular hekhal. Natural light and colorful stained glass windows create an atmosphere conducive to prayer.
Present since the 16th century with the conversos [3] fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, the Mexican Jewish community grew stronger through 20th century waves of migration [4]. Today, it has around 40,000 members and boasts educational, religious, and cultural institutions that reflect its diversity.
[1] Kabbalat Shabbat: Ritual for welcoming the Sabbath, introduced by the Kabbalists of Safed in the 16th century.
[2] Werner Mathias Goeritz Brunner (1915–1990), German-Mexican artist and architect, pioneer of emotional architecture, known for emblematic projects like the Torres de Satélite.
[3] Conversos: Spanish Jews forcibly converted to Christianity under the threat of the Inquisition.
[4] Two major waves of migration: The first in the early 20th century from Muslim countries, the second between the World Wars from Eastern Europe.