Have Ark, Will Travel

 SOUTHBURY — This summer, retired pediatrician, Dr Maurice “Mike” Falk, built an Ark. No, not because of all the rain that has fallen. This Ark has nothing to do with the Bible’s Noah at all. This Ark houses the sacred Torah scrolls of the Jewish faith at Beth El, a conservative synagogue at the Walzer Family Jewish Campus in Southbury.

Beth El has a peaceful, softly lit sanctuary. “It is the perfect size for our regular congregation, and we accommodate the swell in participation during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by holding services at a larger facility,” said Dr Falk.

 “The Ark in our sanctuary is simply too big to move. We needed a small Ark that we could easily transport to the High Holy Day services Beth El hosts at the Southbury Hilton,” he said.

According to Dr Carolyn Falk, his wife of 45 years, Dr Falk was spurred to build the Ark after last year’s High Holy Day services when Beth El had to borrow an Ark.

“Mike has always done woodworking as a way to relax. He saw the need for a portable Ark, so he went ahead and built it,” said Dr Carolyn Falk. “Mike made it simple, pure and honest — just like he is.”

The most important feature in any Jewish sanctuary is the Torah in the Ark. The name “Ark” is an acrostic of the Hebrew words “Aron Kodesh,” which means “holy cabinet.” The Ark is placed on the Eastern wall of the room; that is on the side toward Jerusalem. The Ark has doors as well as an inner curtain called a parokhet. During certain prayers, the doors and/or curtain of the Ark may be opened or closed. Opening or closing the doors or curtain is performed by a member of the congregation, and is considered an honor.

Dr Falk is president of Beth El Synagogue. He also is an avid tennis player and woodworker. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dr Falk earned his undergraduate degree from New York University and his medical degree from the University of Lausanne. He served as a captain in the Air Force, assigned to the 821st Medical Group attached to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota where he was chief of pediatrics.

Dr Falk also was chief of staff of Waterbury Hospital from 1983 to 1985. He served as a police commissioner for the town of Middlebury, cub master of Pack 6, past president of the Watertown Skating Club and on the Board of Trustees of Waterbury Hospital. Dr Falk also served as the medical director for the Waterbury area of the Constitution Health Network.