Photo credit: NHS
Submitted by Northern Hills Synagogue
After Shabbat services on Aug. 29, 2026, family members, congregants and friends gathered at Northern Hills Synagogue to dedicate a work of art memorializing the late Bea Horowitz.The Arnold Horowitz family commissioned the piece. Its theme grew from more than 50 years of friendship and conversations between Bea Horowitz and Margaret Ackerman, centering on Passover — Horowitz’s favorite holiday — and the story of Ruth. Those ideas were shared with Julie Pentelnik, a Cincinnati-area Judaica artist who created a prototype. After extensive searching, the prototype was given to local crochet artist Baylee Schmitt, who completed the final work. “It takes a village,” Ackerman said of the nearly yearlong effort that combined several people’s talents. Several Northern Hills members called the wait worthwhile. Ackerman and others noted that the colors and textures make a strong addition to the synagogue’s social hall, where the art now hangs, and said the piece feels “very Bea.” Horowitz had become an artist in her retirement years after careers as a nurse and a special-needs teacher. Northern Hills members say they are fortunate to have the artwork as a lasting reminder of their friend.
