Around the House
By: Isaac G. & Abe S.
Some of the things you find in your house are very important. In this section “Around the House” you will see everyday household items such as Turkish coffee pots, a cigarette lighter, a backgammon set, a lamp, sweet jars, a porcelain tray, and a perfume bottle, a chair and a jewelry box.
The backgammon set was from Syria and in Syria backgammon was played often. The lighter came from the United States. The perfume bottle is from Cuba that has a sentimental value to the owner.
There are artistic creations including a copy of a very famous painting and an attractive needlepoint. There is a movie camera from 1946.
The coffee pot came from Syria. Turkish coffee pots are used to make Turkish coffee or to boil water for tea. Everyday people would grind beans so their coffee would be fresh.
Other artifacts in this category include a pan to bake potato kugel, beautiful plates, and a tool to decorate pastries.
All of these artifacts were ordinary household items but today are cherished remembrances of ancestors.
Turkish Tea Pots
Syria
Joyce R.
These Turkish Tea Pots belonged to the
Great Grandmother of Jacob S. It was used In Turkey, from 1900-1910. It’s copper and looks like silver on the inside and, it has a long handle made out of copper. It was used to boil hot water for tea almost everyday.
This traditional cookware was found in Sephardic Jewish homes in Turkey and in the U.S. in the early 1900's.
Pan
America
GS
GS, the mother of DN, received
this artifact from her grandmother. Her grandmother used this pan specifically to cook potato kugel. This artifact has a lot of significance to their family because in their family they always stressed the importance of women cooking for their families. D and her mother enjoy cooking for their families with the same recipes that were passed down
from D’s great grandma. They are both very happy to have this pan as a part of their lives.
It shows D that it is her obligation as a Jewish woman to cook for her family.
Needle Point
New York
Elaine S’s great Grandma Freda made this needle point, and it was displayed in Elaine S’s house. The needle point flower is in a frame, the frame is white and the needle point is black, pink and green and the border of the frame is wood. This artifact was made in New York City, Elaine S’s great grandma Freda H made it when she had Alzheimer’s. All she did when she had Alzheimer’s was art, she painted, needle pointed and did a lot of other things.
This artifact shows how Jewish people liked to make decorative things and appreciated having beautiful things around the house.
Wooden Chair and Photograph
United States
Edward D.
This is a photograph of David K.'s great
grandfather, Meyer D., in his store with his wife, Pauline and son, Edward. The wooden chair was in the background of the photo. The chair was used in Meyer D.'s linen store in the 1930’s.
The artifact was used for customers to sit on while waiting. The significance of this chair is that Meyer D. used it in his store in the 1930’s. It is in Edward D.’s house now and the D. and K. family still uses the chair on the
holidays for small children to sit on. The chair is at least 80 years old.
We use the chair on the Jewish
holidays for small children to sit on.
Syrian Pastry Tweezer
Syria
Sarah M.
Ester M. used this tweezer when her daughter, Sarah M., was young and they made pastries. It was used in Panama. It looks like a regular tweezer but it is used for decorating pastries. They moved to New Jersey in about 1960 and Sarah M. still has it until today.
This is significant to my Jewish heritage because my great grandmother Ester H. used it to make decorative desserts for the Jewish holidays and Shabbat.
Lighter
U.S.A New Jewrsy
Arlene A.
This cigarette lighter was used by Isadore S. in Brooklyn c.1950. It’s a lighter engraved with the initials I.S. The significance of the lighter is that it reminds Isaac G.’s grandma of her father. A lot of people used to use lighters in the 1950’s because it was fashionable to smoke.
I reminds my grandma of her dad.
Jewelry Box
Cairo, Egypt
Rachel S.
This jewelry box is square shaped box made of gold metal and red velvet. It is decorated with flowers on it. The jewelry box was given to Rachel L. as an engagement present from her husband, Joseph S. The reason Joseph gave it to her is because it was a custom in Egypt for the man to give his bride a jewelry box so when he gets her jewelry she can put the jewelry in it.
This artifact is very important to the S. family because it is the only thing that they have left from Egypt.
Turkish Coffee Pot
Brooklyn, NY
Valerie Tabush
Mary Hidary, the great grandmother of Teri S.,usually used this coffee pot in her house when she had guests. This coffee pot is very old and larger than most coffee pots because she liked to entertain many people at a time. This artifact is from Aleppo, Syria and was brought to Brooklyn, New York. This artifact has been passed down to the S. family so they can make the same coffee from the same coffee pot Mary used.
Mary used this coffee pot a lot because she liked having guests over and enjoyed drinking Turkish coffee. Typical of the Sephardic Jewish traditions, she was always prepared for guests.
Fruit/Candy Dish
Brooklyn, NY
Lilly S.
Rachel S. used this dish in her home in Brooklyn in the early 1900's. Rachel S. passed away about eleven years ago and then the dish was passed down to Lilly S, who uses it now. Lilly S uses it in her house in Deal, New Jersey.
The dish is porcelain and has a pretty flower printed on it in a gold color. The dish is used when guests come to Lilly S’s house. Lilly S uses it to offer her guests something to eat, like fruit or candy.
Sephardic Jewish women are known to be very hospitable, and always offer guests something to eat or drink.
Oil Lamp
Beirut, Lebanon
Albert M
Laura and Albert M, the Grandparents of
Ricky T used this oil lamp in their home in Beirut, Lebanon during the 1940’s. The oil lamp is brass and gold, and there is a small cup for oil where it can be lit from above. The lamp has a great significance to the family. The lamp was their only source of light in Beirut at the time.
The oil lamp provided the light so that my Grandpa could learn Torah.
Painting
Brooklyn
Gloria J.
Frieda H painted a copy of the Jean Onore Fragonard painting. This oil painting has much sentimental value to Patricia J and her family. Additionally it is practically a perfect replica of the original Fragonard. The only thing that is different is the nose that Frieda H painted. She didn’t like the original nose so she changed it.
This painting means so much to my mother because it was the first painting my grandmother painted.
Turkish Coffee Pot
Aleppo, Syria
Marilyn C.
This Turkish coffee pot was used by Mollie J in Brooklyn, NY from the 1930’s through the 1980’s. It is brass and very small for a coffee pot. The handle is bigger then the coffee maker itself. It is very old looking and it does not look like a coffee pot.
Every Friday two hours before Shabbat, Marilyn C and her family would go to their mother’s house and drink Turkish coffee. After they would drink the coffee her mother, Mollie J., would turn over the coffee cup and let it dry for 5-10 minutes. After it dried she would read the lines of the dried coffee. She could tell by the way the lines were shaped and placed if someone was going to get married soon, or have a baby, etc. This is very important for Marilyn C. because she remembers her mom and all of her family getting together every Friday.
This artifact signifies that Jewish people get together and celebrate Shabbat. If they could not be together for the Friday night Shabbat meal, they would make it a point to visit before sunset. It also is important because it shows that Jewish people keep their traditions as they were passed down from their ancestors.
Perfume Bottle
Cuba
Nadine T.
This perfume bottle is made from glass. The perfume itself is an orange color. This artifact was bought by Ida B, the great grandma of Lindsay T. It was bought in Cuba in 1925 and was never opened.
Ida B’s brother wanted to become a citizen. Something happened and he wasn’t able to. Joseph B, the great grandpa of Lindsay T, was going to become a citizen. He asked Ida B to marry him and then he could make her a citizen. Then he told her that then she could make her brother a citizen.
When they got married in Cuba she bought this perfume bottle.
Silver Platter
Mexico
Lilly K.
The great grandparents of Alison K. used this silver platter and Lilly K. inherited it. It was used in Brooklyn, New York in 1946. It is a sterling silver oval platter with handles and an inscription that says “Lela and Moses Z. from Selim and Sara, 22-8-1946.” This object was given to Alison K.’s great grandparents by their cousins from Mexico. This tray is over 62 years old. Lilly K. inherited it when her grandmother passed away. This tray is important to the K. family because the people who gave it to Lela and Moses Zalta were the people who introduced them to each other.
This beautiful tray was used on Jewish holidays.
Sweet Jars
Egypt
Karen C
Andree D, the great grandmother of
Morris Brown, used these silver jars in Egypt. Her mother-in-law gave it to her when she got married. It was handed down from her to her daughter Marilyn, the grandmother of Morris B. Then she gave it to her daughter Karen C (aunt of Morris B). It is used to hold sweets like sugar, candy, and other sweet delicacies.
These jars were always filled with sweets ready to be served to guests who might stop in.
Backgammon Set
Syria
Susan B
Abe S’s uncle Freddy H. bought this set in Syria and he gave it to Abe’s grandparents, Ralph and Susan B. In America, Abe S.’s grandparents still use this backgammon set. Backgammon is a very popular game and has been played in Syria for hundreds of years.
The tradition of playing Backgammon (sometimes for money) is popular among the old and young in Syrian Jewish communities in the United States today.
Movie Camera
America
Shlomo G.
Shlomo G. purchased this camera when he was about 20 years old. When he got out of Poland and arrived in America in 1946 he was very excited to take pictures of his new country. He kept this camera for so long that he still had it when he got married and had children. Since then he has kept the camera in mint condition.
With this camera he has documented may Jewish milestones in his family.
Plate
Aleppo, Syria
Rose M.
Albert M.’s great-grandmother, Esther T., used this plate in Aleppo c.1922. The plate is brown around the edges, decorated with flowers in the middle, and extremely delicate.
It was mailed to Esther T. by Albert's great-grandfather, Abraham T., after he left for America to make money for the family. After he had made enough money he paid for his family’s passage to America.
Abraham was one of the Syrian Jewish men to immigrate to the U.S. Like many, he went ahead to make arrangements for himself and his family before he brought them overseas.
Fruit/Candy Dish
Brooklyn
Lilly S.
Rachel S. used this dish and it was
passed down to Lilly S. This artifact was used in Rachel S.’s house in the 1900’s in Brooklyn. Rachel passed away about eleven years ago and then after she passed away the dish was passed down to Lilly S., who uses it now in her house in Deal, New Jersey.
The dish is porcelain and has a pretty flower printed on it in a gold color.
The dish is used when guests come to Lilly S.’s house. It is used for fruit and candy. Lilly uses it to offer her guests something to eat.
Rachel, like many Syrian Jewish women, was very hospitable and used her best china to serve guests.
Plate
Aleppo, Syria
Rose M.
Albert M.’s great-grandmother, Esther T., used this plate in Aleppo c.1922. The plate is brown,around the edges, decorated with flowers in the middle, and extremely delicate.
It was mailed to Esther T. by Albert's great-grandfather, Abraham T., after he left for America to make money for the family. After he had made enough money he paid for his family’s passage to America.
Abraham was one of the Syrian Jewish men to immigrate to the U.S. Like many, he went ahead to make arrangements for himself and his family before he brought them overseas.
Sweet Jars
Egypt
Karen C.
Andree D, the great grandmother of Morris B., used these silver jars in Egypt. Her mother-in-law gave it to her when she got married. This gift was handed down from her to her daughter Marilyn, the grandmother of Morris B. Then she gave it to her daughter Karen C. (aunt of Morris B.). It is used to hold sweets like sugar, candy, and other sweet delicacies.
These jars were always filled with sweets ready to be served to guests who might stop in.
Fruit/Candy Dish
Brooklyn, NY
Lilly Sutton
Rachel S.used this dish and it was
passed down to Lilly S. This artifact was used in Rachel S.’s house
in the 1900’s in Brooklyn. Rachel
passed away about eleven years ago and then after she passed away the dish was passed down to Lilly S., who uses it now in her house in Deal, New Jersey.
The dish is porcelain and has a pretty flower printed on it in a gold color .
The dish is used when guests come to Lilly S.’s house. It is used for fruit and candy. Lilly uses it to offer her guests something to eat.
Rachel, like many Syrian Jewish women, was very hospitable and used her best china to serve guests.