Pesach
These artifacts are used for the celebration of the Pesach holiday, also called Passover. Passover is a spring holiday which recounts the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt and their journey to the Land of Israel.
Matzah Cover
Poland
My mother
My artifact is a matzah cover for Passover. It is embroidered with a lamb in the middle and a crown on top with flowers and other decorations around. It is trimmed with a gold rope and lace around the edge. Inside, there are three separate sections labeled in Hebrew: Cohen, Levi, and Israel, for the three matzot that are placed there before the Passover seder.
This matzah cover was handmade by a relative in Poland. It was given to my great grandmother as a going-away gift when she left Poland for the United States in 1929. Then, my great grandmother gave it to my grandma after her wedding which was around Passover. All through my mother\'s life, it has been used at the Passover seder. We still use it every year on Passover.
Seder Plate
Israel
My artifact is a seder plate. The color is a turquoise green with patterns of grapes. There are handles designed to look like flowers with turquoise colored stones. The color of the flowers is gold. In the center of the plate is the Hebrew word \"Pesach\" inside a circle. Around the perimeter of the plate are six indentations and the English and Hebrew words for the six items that are used on the seder plate: shankbone, bitter herbs, egg, parsley, lettuce, and Haroset. All the writing is in gold on the green plate.
My great grandmother, Shirley Gordon K., got the Seder plate when she got married in 1934. That makes the plate 77 years old. She used it at all her Passover Seders. Shirley was my mother’s grandmother. When they got it they didn’t have enough money to buy fancy things but keeping the traditions alive was important enough to spend money on the plate. My grandmother got the seder plate when Nanny died in 1996. It reminds me that it’s important to keep your religion alive, no matter what the sacrifice.
Haggadah
Germany
My great-grandmother
My artifact is an old Haggadah that belonged to my great-great-grandfather, Max Baum. It is bound in a red leather cover. The title \"HAGADAH\" is imprinted in gold on the cover. There are also gold swirl designs on the front. There are black smudges from age and use. The pages are faded and many are torn from the binding. The text on each page is printed in two columns - one is in Hebrew and the other is in German.
This Haggadah was carried all the way from Germany to America by my great-great-grandfather. He brought it with him when he escaped from Nazi Germany. My Muttie (great-grandma) used it every single Passover, and always reminded me where it came from and how important it was to her. This Haggadah still holds a special place at our Seder table. It is a reminder of the hardships that the Jewish people went through to escape the horrors of Nazi Germany. My family was very lucky to come to America and be able to use this Haggadah on Passover.
Seder Plate
Israel
My parents
My Great Grandmother gave this seder plate to my Mother. This is the seder plate that we use every year now that we have the Passover Seder at our house.
The Passover seder is one of the most popular Jewish customs, and at the center of every seder is a seder plate.
Most seder plates have six small dishes for the six symbols of the Passover seder. These are Maror (bitter herbs), Karpas (vegetable), Chazeret (bitter vegetable), Charoset (apple, nut, spice and wine mixture), Zeroa (shankbone) and
Beitzah (egg). Passover celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.