Birth and Beyond
Artifacts from our Jewish life cycle
Tallit and Tallit Bag
Eastern Europe
Leon M (grandfather)
The tallit with the gold atarah (neckband) belonged to my great grandfather who received it for his bar mitzvah in 1912. The bag was hand sewn by my great grandmother from pieces of her velvet dress c. 1934.
The tallit and its bag are our connection to Jewish life cycle events, and to praying in temple.
Kiddush Cup
Europe
Andrea Deutsch
This cup was inherited from my great-great-grandparents. It was one of six cups. It has the initial W which stands for my great-great grandparents last name. There is also a star of David on the cup.
It has value for my family because it is a part of my heritage that has been passed on from generation to generation. The cup was used to help celebrate Jewish holidays in my family.
Kiddush Cup
New York
Beth and Peter B
The cantor who performed the wedding ceremony for my parents presented it to them at the wedding. They have used it ever since.
We use it every year at Pesach, and I will probably inherit it one day.
Kiddush Cup
Vienna, Austria
Jonathan G.
This glass Kiddush Cup has traveled from Europe to America and survived a trip across the Atlantic Ocean and has been passed down from generation to generation in our family. It is important to our family because it is the only artifact that survived from my grandfather's side of the family.
It was given to our family by my grandfather Gilbert G.
My great-great-grandfather gave it to my great-grandmother Esther G. and she gave it to my grandfather Gibert G. and then he gave it to my father, Jonathan G.
We only use it on Pesach. It is at least 150 years old, maybe older and has survived through many generations.
Kiddush Cup
Israel
Risa G
This Kiddush Cup was passed down from my great-grandmother Rebecca Nelson to my mother Risa, before my great-grandma passed away at the age of 90.
My great-grandmother and my mother were very close, so this Kiddush cup has great meaning for us. It was most important to my great-grandma to pass things down, especially Jewish things, to her grandchildren.
Seder Plate
Israel
Phyllis L
When my grandmother, Toni Plutner and her sisters left Vienna during the war none of the family artifacts were saved. Her mother Pearl, who had left Vienna for Israel purchased the seder plate to pass on. She gave it to her daughter Toni when they were reunited in the USA so that she could begin her own collection of Judaica.
It shows the strong desire of my family to keep traditions alive, despite many adverse situations. It reminds us of our history and keeps our ancestry alive.