The tallis was given to my great grandfather for his bar mitzvah. We think he received it in 1918 but no one in my family is sure. My grandfather came to America from Canada when he was approximately 8 years old. He did not have a birth certificate and was never sure how old he was.
The tallis was important because it was one of the few things he ever got new. It was also his alone, he did not have to share it with his brothers. He had to share everything else he had. It showed how important Judiasm was to his family. They were very poor and he never had nice things, so buying this was a sacrifice for them.
My grandfather wore this tallis, it sat on the bimah when my aunt and her daughters became bat mitzvah and I will wear it at my bar mitzvah next year.
The tallis was important because my great grandfather got it on his bar mitzvah. The fact that he had a bar mitzvah is amazing. He was not allowed to go to regular school because his family thought it was more important that he go to work. They sacrificed his time and wages when he studied Torah because that was most important.
It shows me how important Judiasm is in my family.
This kiddush cup is from 1894 and has been passed down in my family for the past 113 years. It started with my great-grandfather at his bris. Then it was passed down to my grandfather, who used it at his bar mitzvah. And finally it is now my father's and it was used at his wedding. Hopefully someday it will be passed down to me. It is now in a cabinet on display in our dining room.