This oversize version of the traditional filigree lamp of eastern Europe was made in the United States. It imitates the Torah ark form, with its columns, door (complete with Torah inside), and crown above. Even the pattern of the filigree, with its heart- and oval-shaped designs, is based on eastern European prototypes of the first half of the nineteenth century.

The marks on this lamp tell a fascinating story of immigration and adaptation. They appear to follow the Russian marking system, but are patently false. One mark is an unregistered variation on a Moscow city mark, while both the Russian and American assay marks (the "84" and the "sterling") are present. Transplanted eastern European masters, or sharp American businessmen, used these imitation marks to convince the new immigrants either that the works were made in Russia, or that the silver content was the same as that required in Russia.

This lamp was dedicated to the Brooklyn Jewish Center in (or after) 1921, the year the donor's mother died, probably on the occasion of the completion of its new synagogue the same year. The building, located on Eastern Parkway, was large and grandly decorated. Serving as more than just a house of worship, it was one of the earliest community centers, and included a health club, day school, and restaurant. The declining population in that area of Brooklyn eventually caused the synagogue to close its doors in 1983.