Daniel Libeskind, by happenstance or design, has practically become the official architect of Jewish museums worldwide, but that trajectory was near its beginning when he received the commission, in 1998, for San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM).

The building relies not only on the sharp-edged diagonals—sometimes a shortcut to dynamism and architectural self-assertion—that have been a mainstay in Libeskind’s work, but also on abundant calligraphic symbols, some more convincing than others.

We don’t have money for fancy materials, but abundant light and air, which can make a huge difference in your living environment, are free,” says Joan Ling, executive director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM).

Getting from the sidewalk into the main sanctuary of Beth Sholom synagogue, in San Francisco, is hardly a matter of opening a front door and entering.

The ancient and the high-tech met last October at Marmomacc 2007, the 42nd International Exhibition of Stone Design and Technology in Verona, Italy.