Calvin Albert, a former member of Temple Emanuel, was commissioned to create Burning Bush for the Temple's entryway. The work, inspired by scripture, is associated with Moses and the bush which burns but is never consumed. It serves as a metaphor for the Jewish people who, like the bush, have suffered yet endured. The work is an outward symbol of the congregation's commitment to have inspirational works as an integral part of their building.

Albert was born in Grand Rapids but went on to study in Chicago with Archipenko and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy before moving to New York. There he taught at Brooklyn College, New York University and Pratt Institute were he remained for more than three decades. Albert received prestigious Guggenheim, Tiffany, and Fulbright grants during his career, while his research in new materials and techniques in sculpture was recognized in a 1950 article for Art News magazine.