In 1997, quotations from Biblical texts were added around the scroll work at the top of the walls surrounding the sanctuary. This follows a very old tradition in Jewish architecture. The words are in Hebrew and, going counter-clockwise from the right side of the East wall (where the arks are) it goes as follows: The names of the sources (e.g., names of books in the Bible) are highlighted in gold text (and CAPITALS). [Hebrew transliterated in brown italics]:

East Wall (from right to left):

Ke-do-shim ti-he-yu You shall be holy (Lev. 19:2)

VA-YIK-RA [Leviticus] (in gold) And God called

Be-chol dor va-dor cha-yav a-dam lir-ot et atz-mo ke-i-lu hu ya-tza mi-mitz-ra-yim In every generation you must look upon yourself as if you personally had come out of Egypt [Passover Haggadah]

Tze-dek tze-dek tir-dof Justice, justice shall you pursue. [Deut. 16:20]

Ki vei-ti veit te-fi-la yi-ka-rei le-chol ha-a-mim For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples [Isaiah 56-57]

Ve-a-su li mik-dosh ve-sha-chan-ti be-to-cham And let them make a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. [Exodus 25:8]

North Wall:

Ve-chi-to-tu char-bo-tei-hem le-i-tim mil-cha-ma va-cha-ni-to-tei-hem le-maz-mei-rot lo yis-u goi el goi che-rev be-lo yil-me-dun od ve-yash-vu ish ta-chat gaf-no ve-ta-chat te-ei-na-to ve-ein ma-cha-rid And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; they shall never again know war; but everyone shall sit under a grapevine or fig tree and not be disturbed. [Micah 4:3-4]

Sha-a-lu she-lom ye-ru-sha-lam Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem [Pslam 122:6]

BA-MID-BAR [Numbers] (in gold) In the wilderness

Ye-va-re-che-cha a-do-nay ve-yish-me-re-cha. Ya-eir a-do-nay pa-nav ei-le-cha ve-chu-ne-ka. Ye-sa a-do-nay pa-nav ei-le-cha ve-ya-sim le-cha sha-lom. Ve-sa-mu et she-mi al be-nai yis-ra-eil va-a-ni a-var-chem. May God bless you and keep you, may God deal kindly and graciously with you, may God favor you and grant you peace; thus shall they link my name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them. [Num. 6:24-27]

Va-al ta-din et cha-veir-cha ad sha-ta-gi-a lim-ko-mo Judge not your neighbor until you have come into your neighbor's place. [Avot 2:5]

BE-REI-SHIT [Genesis] (in gold) In the beginning

Ve-a-hav-ta le-rei-a-cha ka-mo-cha Love your neighbor as yourself. [Lev. 19:18]

Ha-fach ba va-ha-fach ba de-cho-la va u-va te-che-zei ve-siv u-e-lei va u-mi-na la te-zu-a sha-ein le-cha mi-da to-va hei-me-na Turn it and turn it, for everything is in it, and through it you will perceive clearly; grow old and gray in it and do not depart from it, for there is no better pursuit for you than it. [Avot 5:25]

West Wall (from right to left):

DE-VA-RIM [Deuteronomy] (in gold) These are the words

Lo et a-vo-tei-nu ka-rat a-do-nay et ha-brit ha-zot ki i-ta-nu a-nach-nu a-leh ha-yom ku-la-nu cha-yim It was not with our ancestors that Adonai made this covenant, but with us, the living, every one of us who is here today. [Deut. 5:3]

She-lo-sha ke-ta-rim hein ke-ter to-ra ve-kek-ter ke-hu-na ve-ke-ter mal-chut ve-ke-ter sheim tov o-leh al ga-bei-hen There are three crowns: the crown of learning, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name exceeds them all. [Avot 4:17]

SHE-MOT [Exodus] (in gold) These are the names

South Wall (from right to left):

Al te-hi vaz le-chol a-dam ve-al te-hi maf-lig le-chol da-var sha-ein le-cha a-dam sha-ein lo sha-a ve-ein le-cha da-var sha-ein lo ma-kom Despise not any person and carp not at any thing; for there is not a person who does not have a time, and there is not a thing that does not have a place. [Avot 4:3]

E-sa e-nai el he-ha-rim mei-a-yin ya-vo ez-ri ez-ri mei-im a-do-nay o-seh sha-ma-yim va-a-retz al yi-tein la-mot rag-le-cha al ya-num shom-re-cha I turn my eyes to the mountains, from whence comes my help; my help comes from Adonai, maker of heaven and earth; Adonai will not let your foot give way; your guardian will not slumber [Psalm 121:1-3]

A-VOT [The Fathers] (in gold) The fathers

He-veh mi-tal-mi-dov shel a-ha-ron o-hev sha-lom ve-ro-def sha-lom o-hev et ha-bri-yot u-me-karbon la-to-rah Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursing peace, loving humankind and bringing them near to the Torah. [Avot 1:12]

NI-VI-IM [The Prophets] (in gold) The prophets

Hi-gid le-cha a-dam ma tov u-ma a-do-nay do-reish mim-cha ki im a-sot mish-pot ve-a-ha-vat che-sed ve-hatz-nei-ach le-chet im e-lo-he-cha God has told everyone of you what is good, and what God requires of you: only to do justice, love goodness, and walk modestly with your God. [Micah 6:8]

KE-TU-VIM [The Writings] (in gold) The writings

Im ein a-ni li mi li. U-chu-sha-a-ni le-atz-mi ma a-ni. Ve-im lo ach-shav ei-ma-tai If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? [Avot 1:14]