[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Mandrake]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting the flowers of a mandrake plant, which represents Reuben. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. Biblically, the mandrake plant (fruit and roots) was believed to enhance a woman's fertility; Reuben gathered it for his mother, Leah. Leah had six children and also gave the plant to Rachel, who was barren but later conceived two sons. This pane was transferred to a window in the Hall of Remembrance when Beth-El Congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000