Jewish Lifestyles
by Ronni K. and
Frieda S.
In the Jewish religion men and women used siddurim. A Siddur is a Hebrew book that the Jewish people read from everyday. The men are obligated to pray at least 3 times a day and the women are obligated to pray at least one time a day. The three prayers that the men are obligated to say are Shacharit, Mincha and Arbit, and the women are obligated to say Shacharit. Religious people have done this in years past and continue in the same way today.
They also use a Kiddush cup on Friday night and Saturday. On Friday night we say berachot before we drink out of the Kiddush cup. Some families use wine and others use grape juice. Kiddush is said before the Shabbat meals.
Tehillim is a book full of psalms, that our King David wrote in his troubled times. Some psalms are prayers that are said for sick people to get better, and others are for when you lose something and you pray to Hashem to help find it.
In this gallery you will also find some artifacts that were used on Jewish holidays, like the seder plate for Passover. Also there is a baby\'s hat and blanket used at the bris of every male member of a family, and the silver coins that were used to redeem a baby at a pidyon haben.
Siddur
Eygpt
Morris M
Evan P's great great great grandfather bought a Siddur for his son Mike for his bar mitzvah. He used it for all his life and then gave it to Evan Plaut's grandfather Morris M.
A Siddur is a book that contains prayers and is used three times a day by Jewish people to pray to G-d.
Prayer Book
Brooklyn
Samuel E
This prayer book was given to Albert's grandpa, Edward, two months before he passed away. Albert's family still uses it. Whenever they pray from it they think of him.
This prayer book is used to pray to G-D. Jewish people usually use it on Shabbat for kiddush
(the blessings for Shabbat).
Wedding Albulm
Brooklyn, New York
Mary T
Sam A and Ruth C. got married on March 25, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York. The Jewish weddings back then were very simple. Sam and Ruth had a very simple wedding like most other weddings in those days. They had a religious ceremony with a Rabbi, and as the guests were walking out they received a bag of "lebas"(candy coated almonds.)
This artifact shows how religious Jews had weddings in the 1950's. This artifact shows photos of Sam and Ruth Anteby at their wedding. In the pictures it shows them getting married under the chuppah. Also there are pictures with members of their close family. You may notice that all the men were wearing hats and the women's dresses covered their knees.
Kiddush cup
Brooklyn, NY
Arlene E
This kiddush cup belonged to Jacqueline's Great Grandma but now her grandma has it. This kiddush cup is important to Jacqueline's family because now she has passed away.
A kiddush cup is important to Jewish people because they use it on Shabbat. It is customary to make "kiddush" before every Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch. Kiddush is the ceremony recited by the father to sanctify the meal as he holds the kiddush cup filled with wine.
Silver coins
America
Sharon T.
Saul T's grandmother's father was a Cohen and he was the only Cohen in the area so he did the Pidyon haben for many people. He collected a lot of silver coins over the years.
The Pidyon Haben, or Redemption of the first born son, is a mitzvah in Judaism. In Jewish laws a firstborn son from a pure birth is redeemed by use of silver coins. The family gives five silver coins to the Cohen in exchange for the baby. In the Syrian Jewish community, the coins are then auctioned off and the money goes to charity.
Crochet hat
New York City
Sarah S.
This artifact has a great significance to the J. family. This artifact was passed down from the Abe J's great great grandma. Her name was Shefia. She made a crocheted blanket and hat by hand. She dressed the baby for his Brit Milah. She gave the artifact to Abe J's great grandma who is no longer alive. Then she gave it to the Abe's grandma, and the she gave it to Abe. The color of this artifact is vanilla. I am privileged to be part of a family that has such great tradition.
The Brit Milah is a circumcision. This artifact was used to dress many family babies during their Brit Milah .
Book of Psalms
Hungary
Ayelet L.
This book was given to Max's mother by her great grandmother. Ayelet L. (Max's mother), uses this book to pray for the sick.
This book of psalms is important to Max's family because Ayelet L. can pray for her family to get better. It is traditional among Jewish people to read psalms to pray for people who are ill.
Seder plate
England
Sari K.
This Passover seder plate was given to Sari's grandmother, Sari K, by her mother Gladys T, who got it from her mother, Sarah B. Sari's grandmother received it when her mother passed away. This is important to Sari's grandmother because it reminds her of when she was younger and when she spent the seders with her mother. She uses it now on Passover.
This Passover seder plate is used on seder nights. This is important to Jewish heritage and it is put away during he rest of the year and only used during Passover. During Passover, Jewish families need to use separate dishes, utensils, and pots that have not been used with chametz. Chametz are 5 grains that Jewish families do not eat on Passover. These 5 grains are wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt.
Siddur
Syria
Harry I .F.
Harry I.F. got this siddur when he first learned how to read. The significance is that his grandfather learned how to pray in this siddur.
The siddur is very important thing to Jewish heritage because Jews use this three times a day every day of the week. Jewish men use it to read the words that they say when they pray to G-d.
Passover Haggadah Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
New York City
Albert H. B.
This Haggadah was presented to William's grandfather on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah, Parasha Vayikra, March 1950. His Great Great Grandfather, Bernard B, was a supporter of many Jewish Institutions both in The United States and Israel. He was a great friend and supporter of Rabbi Kasher, and he provided a major portion of the funding for the production of the Haggadah. There is a personal inscription from Rabbi Kasher to his Grandfather inside the cover in Hebrew, and he remembers meeting Rabbi
Kasher often when he would come to his grandfather's home many times for Shabbat. Rabbi Kasher was one of the preeminent Torah
scholars and authors of the 20th Century. Both Rabbi Kasher and William's maternal ancestors were
Gerer Hasidim.
The Haggadah has been used continuously by William's Grandfather at every family Seder since 1950, spanning 3 generations of his family. The pages are sprinkled with wine and the remnants of Korech sandwiches which are embedded on certain pages from the last 60 years. In addition, the Haggadah is stuffed with old yellow legal pad papers filled with questions his Grandfather asks every Seder.
Blanket
New York
Grandma Cookie S
This blanket was created by Sefia, the great grandmother of Terry J. All the male children on Terry's mother's side of the family used this blanket for their brit milah. This is an heirloom. This blanket was passed down for two generations.
The significance of the blanket is that it is used for a brit milah. A brit milah is a circumcision of a baby boy when he is eight days old.
Siddur
Syria
Jacques M.
This Siddur came from Jacques M. It's nearly 115 years old. It was the only thing he took from Syria. He hid it in his jacket when he left Syria. He gave it to his son, who passed it down to his son, who is Charles's father. It now belongs to Charles.
A Siddur contains prayers that are recited by Jewish people. This Siddur was the only thing that he was able to bring from Syria. It is a very old Siddur that was used many years by Jaques Mehani. He used it every day from the day he became Bar Mitzvah until the day he passed away.
Menorah
USA
Claire H.
When Claire's great grandma, Sara got married she got this for her wedding. She used it every year on Chanuka then she gave it to Claire's grandma.
The menorah is used to light candles for the eight days of Chanuka. On Chanuka Jewish people celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting 8 nights even though there was only enough for 1 night. Also Chanuka commemorates the military victory of the Maccabees.