FLORENCE — Last month, the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity suddenly had to cancel a concert when Beit Ahavah, the Reform Jewish congregation that shares space in the building, received a bomb threat — one of a number of threats that were sent that day to Jewish places of worship across the state.

This month, the arts center — led by the Florence Congregational Church, which also uses the building — has responded with an art installation that speaks to the community’s determination to say “no” to hate and violence.

More than 150 colored ribbons inscribed with messages of hope and support are now suspended like prayer flags above the pews in the Bombyx sanctuary, used by members of Beit Ahavah, the Congregational Church and concertgoers alike at the arts center.

The messages have been contributed by a diverse group of people: Congregational Church members, local clergy, resident companies at Bombyx, preschool students and concertgoers, all of whom wanted to show support for Beit Ahavah and others who have been targeted by antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks that have flared since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October.

The installation, which was unveiled on Sunday for the Beit Ahavah congregation as part of the synagogue’s Hanukkah celebration, is the brainstorm of the Rev. Marisa Egerstrom of the Congregational Church, an artist as well as a pastor.

In a phone call, Egerstrom said the idea for the installation sprang from conversations she had with staff from Beit Ahavah, Bombyx and the Cloverdale Preschool — another tenant at the arts center — in the wake of the November bomb threat.

“We didn’t want to put out yet another bland statement that we stand against hate, or something like that,” she said. “But we also didn’t want to let the bad guys win — we didn’t want to amplify their actions.”

Instead, she asked, “What could be a more considered response, something that could highlight the strength of our community and visibly show our friends at Beit Ahavah that they’re not alone, that we’re with them?”

Given her past experience creating art installations, she said, the idea of hanging ribbons made sense — and she took it upon herself to procure those ribbons and some markers and get them into the hands of people who could contribute messages of support.

“I was the one running around with a basket of ribbons like the Easter Bunny,” Egremont said with a laugh.

The messages vary from calls for peace, solidarity, and compassion to people simply signing their names or offering heart drawings. “Find unity through art — come together with love,” reads one.

Rabbi Riqi Kosovske said Beit Ahavah and other Jewish communities had already been struggling with the fallout of Hamas’ brutal attacks in southern Israel on Oct.7, followed by Israel’s devastating counterattack into Gaza, when she opened up her email Nov. 19 to see the bomb threat against the synagogue.

“It was shocking,” she said in a phone call. “It’s designed to intimidate and diminish your humanity.”

Because the debate over the Israeli-Hamas war has been so polarized, leading in the U.S. to a number of deaths, shootings, and beatings, many Jews have felt especially isolated in the last two months, Kosovske said. So to have Egremont and her supporters unveil the ribbon messages — and on Hanukkah — was a heartwarming surprise.

“It’s so moving,” she said. “It’s probably the nicest Hanukkah gift I’ve ever received.”

That gesture “has sparked a lot of joy,” Kosovske added. And as Casandra Holden, executive director of Bombyx, noted in an email, “Joy is an act of resistance and resilience.”

The installation will remain in place at Bombyx at least through the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Egerstrom said she hopes the community artwork will help people discuss charged topics such as the Israeli-Hamas war in a way that “allows difficult conversations to take place within our ongoing relationships, in ways that recognize our shared humanity.”

Steve Pfarrer can be reached at spfarrer@gazettenet.com.