Stained-glass craftsman leaves his mark in Macon GA at Congregation Sha’arey Israel

By James Palmer

The Macon Telegraph

There's a basic truth about stained glass windows.

"They look much better from the inside," said Stevan Stanisic.

If you think about it, they're probably the height of impracticality. Windows are supposed to bring the outside inside. Stained glass doesn't work that way. Those in a house of worship block the view but try to give us clearer visions of what we believe. Sunlight turns into artwork and brings to life the symbols that are central to our religion.

Stanisic's job is making sure those images are as bright and beautiful as possible. He creates stained glass. He's worked on the windows at Congregation Sherah Israel for the past two months. He's restored five of the windows of the synagogue, completing his work this week.

His next stop will be the University of the South in Tennessee. He'll work on that college's chapel windows. He'll eventually return to his home near Washington, D.C. But his current trip is actually part of a longer journey he's made during the past six years.