This mezuzah was given to my mom and dad as a wedding gift in December of 1984. A Mezuzah is a small piece of parchment usually contained in a decorative case with the verses of the "Shema Israel" prayer, and placed on the front door. The Mezuzah shows that it is a Jewish home.
This kiddush cup symbolizes my parents' wedding and the Jewish family. Having a Jewish family is how Judaism is carried on.
A ketuba is a contract for marriage for Jewish people and my parents got married in 1996 in Philadelphia, PA. The newlyweds, witnesses, and the rabbi signed the ketuba.
This tallit is significant because it is 101 years old and was given to my father when he converted to Judaism in 1989. He converted because he married my mom and took my great grandfather Nathan's Hebrew name as his own.
This cup is very special to me because I am named after my grandpa.
This Tallit belonged to my cousin Mike who died when he was sledding on a hill that went into a road. Mike got hit and died one year before his bar mitzvah. My aunt gave the tallit to my dad for his bar mitzvah. He felt very blessed to have the tallit for his bar mitzvah.
Becoming a bar mitzvah means taking on the responsibility of the mitzvot, the commandments. The fringes on the tallit represent our 613 commandments. It is the mitzvot which separate us as Jews and teach us how to live. Although Mike is no longer with us, his tallit is. We honor his memory when we perform any of the mitzvot.