Religious Relics
By Cookie J. and Karen M.
Our religion has an important impact on us. Religious artifacts teach us about our Jewish history. This gallery contains religious relics, many of which are used today in the same way as they were used in the past.
Some of the artifacts were used on holidays like a Pesach haggadah, a 200 year old Megillah read on Purim and a Chanukah menorah. Menorot are lit to remember the miracle of Chanuka, when many years ago oil lasted eight days instead of one.
Korachas are pouches that hold teffillin and siddurim. Korachas usually have a Hebrew name embroidered on it indicating to whom it belongs. Boys sometimes keep these korachas from the age of thirteen throughout their entire lives.
Siddurim are used by the Jewish people from all over the world. They are used at all different hours of the day in good and bad situations. In this gallery a couple of siddurim are from generations ago. They are holy possessions used when praying to Hashem. You will also see a challah cover, and a container for \"bisomim\" or spices, and a \"kippa\" from a baby\'s bris.
Baby Kippah
Brooklyn, NY
Rebecca B
My great aunt, Rebecca, knitted this kippah or yamulke for me to wear at my bris. It is a skullcap worn by Jewish males. She also knitted one for each of my brothers and each of them wore it at his bris. My great aunt Rebecca knitted them and sold them to people in the Jewish community for their male children.
Jewish boys have a bris to keep the covenant that Abraham made with G-d. The Jewish people have kept this covenant since then. A circumcision is the cutting of the foreskin and this is done on the eighth day after the baby\'s birth.
200 year old Megillah
The old city, Aleppo, Syria
Morris S
This 200 year old Megillah belonged to Ezrah S, my Great Great Great Grandfather. It was made by a Rabbi in the old city of Aleppo, Syria. He made it by hand. If you open the Megillah you will see the name of the Rabbi who made the Megillah. It was passed down from Ezrah S through 5 generations and it now belongs to my dad, Morris S, and he will treasure it until he passes it down to one of my brothers.
The Megillah tells the story of Esther and how she was chosen to be the wife of the King and eventually she was able to save the Jewish people. We read the Megillah every Purim. My dad does not bring this one to shul on Purim because it\'s too old and fragile.
Siddur
USA
Morris L
The siddur was used my by grandpa, Morris L. and now my dad, Robert, uses it and it very important to him. It is important to our family because my grandpa passed away and it\'s a very good memory for us. We know it was my grandpa\'s because he put his name and address on everything that was important to him.
A siddur is a book that is used to do mitzvot. A mitzvah is something that happens after every Hebrew word you pray. It\'s brought up to Hashem, and Hashem puts that into your \"bank account\".
Challah cover
Egypt
Yvette H
This artifact came from Egypt. My Grandma Yvette was a very loving person. She always had people at her Shabbat table even if she didn\'t know them. My Grandma was just always looking to do a mitzvah. This challah cover was at every single one of her Shabbat meals.
My Grandma Yvette gave it to my Dad because she thought that he would follow her tradition. My Dad is always welcoming people to my house. So I hope that my Grandma is looking down at us using it. I think it is very special.
Pesach Haggada
England
Angela S
This Pesach Haggadah was published in London, England by the Iraqi Jewish community in England during sometime in the 1900s. This Pesach Haggada has a drawing in the center of the book. In the drawing, the Iraqi Rabbis are sitting around a table. The Ben Ish Hai (which is short for Hakham Yosef Hayim or Rabbi Yosef Hayim) is a very famous rabbi. He was born in 1833 and he died in 1909. He is in the drawing. My great great great grandfather is also in the drawing. My great great great grandfather is sitting 2 seats away from the Ben Ish Hai. My great great great grandfather was named Hakham Ezra Adam (which is Rabbi Ezra Adam). He is my grandmother\'s (on my mother\'s side) great grandfather. We are unsure when he was born and when he died.
A Haggadah is read at Passover seders by Jewish people all over the world
Siddur
Eygpt
Marcelle E
This siddur was given to my grandmother\'s brother, as a gift at his bar mitzvah. When he left Egypt it was one of the few things he brought with him to America. This siddur was significant because he used it everyday as his own personal siddur.
This book is a full siddur complete with Shacharit, Mincha, Arbit, and also all of the Shabbat prayers. It is a symbol of our faith and religion. After he passed away it was given to my grandmother and she used it until the pages started to get too fragile. Her brother was proud of his religion and used this siddur to its fullest.
Koracha
Israel
Fortune G
This artifact possibly belonged to my grandfather Erwin G. or, it could have belonged to my great grandfather Matuk. He got this a long long time ago, and it has been with him until he passed away. For something this old, it is in good condition, despite the fact that most of its embroidery is gone. Each koracha is unique in its own way.
A koracha marks the turning point for a Jewish boy. When he turns 13, he gets it and he puts his tefillin in it. He uses it for the rest of his life. He uses it everyday except for Shabbat and some holidays. It is used in the first prayer of the day. When it is time to use it, he unzips the koracha, unwraps his tefillin, and puts it on. When he is done, he wraps his tefillin, puts them in his koracha, and zips it. Some people put objects other then their tefillin in their koracha.
Menorah
Israel
Raul S
This Menorah belonged to my great grandpa, Raul S, and it was passed down to my mom. This Menorah was on my great grandpa\'s desk in his office and when it was Chanukah he brought it home to light the candles. Since it was passed down to my mom we use it on Chanukah. When my great grandpa Raul went to Israel, his uncle gave it to him. My great grandma and grandpa used the menorah in Mexico, where they lived. When my great grandpa died in the end of Pesach 2010, my mom inherited the menorah and now it\'s at my house.
We used the menorah on Chanukah. We light it on all the eight days of Chanukah. We remember when the little bit of oil lasted for eight days in the Mishkan.
Bisomim holder
Turkey
Mathieu G
This Bisomim holder was given to me by my father, Mathieu G. Mathieu was given this besamim holder by his parents, Elie and Arlene G. This bisomim holder was handmade in Morocco and bought in Turkey by Elie and Arlene.
This bisomim holder was used during the Havdalah prayer as it holds the fragrance we smell when we say the beracha of \"Borreh menay bisomim\". We also anoint the Cohanim with the fragrance of bisomim before the priestly blessings.
Tehillim
Syria
Violet G
This artifact was given to my grandfather when he was a kid, by my Great Grandpa, Albert G. The family left to Egypt in the 1940s. My father really cares about it, because it is one of the only things my father has left from his childhood in Egypt.
Tehillim is a book of psalms and praises to Hashem. Jews use this book to ask Hashem to heal people who are sick. This specific tehillim book was used everyday in Egypt by my great grandpa and my grandpa. That is why it is so important to us.