This is the Holy Ark in which the scrolls of the Torah are stored. Eldridge Street’s ark is made of hand-carved walnut. The Ark is traditionally built on the wall which faces Jerusalem-in the Western Hemisphere, usually on the East wall. The doors of the cabinet at Eldridge Street still open with the touch of a finger, and the red velvet lining dates back to the 1887 opening. Eldridge Street's Ark is large enough to hold 24 Torah scrolls.