Jewelry Artifacts
Our artifacts include jewelry. All of them belonged to our great grandparents or even the generation before them. Some of the jewelry were given as presents and others were created and passed down. They all have memories. Some have religious motives and some pieces are just personal. They are all precious artifacts because of their passing from generation to generation.
Cameo Ring
Chicago, Illinois
Sylvia P.
It belonged to my great-grandmother and was given to her as a gift when she was 16 years old. She recently gave it to my mother.
The ring was made especially for my great-grandmother by her cousin who was a jeweler. Her cousin gave it to her as a gift to thank her family for being so kind to him and his family when they came to this country from Russia. Her cousin and his family lived with my great-grandmother's family when they first came to America until they were able to afford to live on their own.
Jewish Stars and Locket
Israel
me
The artifacts were passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to everyone in my family that liked jewelry. Also in the locket is the one of the few pictures of my great grandfather and great-grandma.
Since it is a Jewish star it shows Judaism.
Hamsa Charm
Israel
Mother
The Hamsa charm which is my artifact, was given to my grandmother from her sister who bought it in Israel. The charm was given to my mother from my grandmother when she was dying.
The Hamsa charm is suppose to protect someone from the evil eye, disease and physical injury. The hamsa hand is an old and still popular charm for magical protection from the evil eye known to draw positive energy, happiness, riches and health.
There are speculations that the Jews were among the first to use it as a protective charm, also called “Hand of Miriam”.
Hamsas are incorporated in wall plaques, key chains and necklaces. Sometimes they are inscribed with Hebrew prayers, such as the Sh’ma.
Pocket Watch
Soviet Union
Vladimir B.
On June 22, 1941, during World War II, the Germans invaded the town of Bobruisk, in Belarus (part of the Soviet Union). This town was heavily Jewish. Many people left the town in fear, but my great-great-grandparents were too old to flee. Their neighbor was appointed Chief of Police by the Nazis. He came to my great-great-grandparents house and told them to dig a hole outside. When they were finished, he made them undress and go into the hole. That's how they were buried alive. October of 1944, my great grandfather (my grandfather's dad) returned to Bobruisk to find that his house was the only one still standing because one of the Nazis had lived in it - all the other houses were destroyed. One of his former neighbors recognized him and told him what happened to his parents. My great-grandfather asked the neighbor if there was anything left from his parents' possessions. The neighbor reached into his pocket and drew out this pocket watch. When my great-grandfather died, he passed the watch on to my grandfather, who brought it with him to America. This watch is the only item left from my great-great-grandparents who were buried alive by the Nazis in 1941 and is a reminder of the Holocaust.
This watch is the only memory of my great great grandparents and is a reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Watch
New York
Inherited from Grandfather
This watch belonged to my grandfather, Alexander S., my mother's father. In the photo which was taken a long time ago – probably about 1952 - you can see him sitting with me and, if you look closely, you can see that he's wearing the watch. He died March 17, 1960, about a year before my Bar Mitzvah. I was very close to my grandfather and his watch was given to me by my mother.
Most of that side of the family died during the Holocaust including his father – my great grandfather - the man I was named after. If my grandfather and my other grandparents hadn’t made the decision to come here, I would have never been born (and neither would my children and grandchildren!). He came to America after World War I from the town of Skidel in Belarus to escape anti-Semitism and for the opportunities America represented. Judaism was very important to my grandfather and he is still very important to me. The influence he had on me then has a great deal to do with my connection to Judaism today.