Torah Ark curtain - Cohen-Al Fassiya family. [Israel, second half of 20th century].
Embroidery on velvet.
The curtain is made of Burgundy velvet. On upper part is an additional layer of fabric. On top - a Torah Crown with the letters "כ" and "ת" on both sides. Below the crown - Tablets of the Law and two lions standing on the side. An embroidered dedication appears below the ark: "In memory of Moshe Cohen and his spouse Zohra Al Fassiya.." (Hebrew). On both sides of the inscription - floral decorations. A golden ribbon frames the decorations. A ribbon and fringes at margins of curtain. Loops with metal rings at upper part. Hem at lower part.
The curtain is attributed to Zohra Al Fassiya (1905-1994), a famous and admired singer in Morocco, who immigrated to Israel in the 1960s. Erez Biton, a poet, winner of the Israel Prize, wrote about her in his poem "Shir Zohra Al Fassiya" that "when she sang, soldiers fought with knives to clear a path through the crowd to reach the hem of her skirt" (Hebrew).
Approx. 196X196 cm. Good condition. Wear, fading, dampstains to lower part.