Religious Readings
by Kinneret K. and Arleen C.
Prayer is very important to our nation and the Jewish people. Using Siddurim we pray to G-d and thank him for all he gave us. The Torah and the Tanach are used as guidelines to teach us how to act with each other.
In this section you will see many varieties of Siddurim, Torahs, and a 300 year old Tanach. The Tanach is an abbreviation for: Torah, Navieim, and Ketuvim. The Navieim is a book about the message of prophets that we, the Jewish people can use nowadays. The Torah was given by G-d to Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai, the mountain of Sinai in the desert. Ketuvim are writings that include Tehillim, or Psalms, It also includes Megillot Esther and Ruth. These Megillot are called the Hamesh Megillot, because there are five of them.
Siddur
Austria
Clarisse M.
This siddur belonged to Arleen's great grandfather, Alexander M. who bought it in Austria. Now it's very valuable and very old. Alexander gave it to his son Sam M., and he gave it to his wife Clarisse to hold on to it. It is extremely valuable and we will cherish it forever.
The artifact is very important to Arleen's entire family. The significance of this artifact is we pray with it every morning and night. We also use it on Holidays and Shabbat.
Ancient Gemarah
Auschwitz, Poland
Leon H.
This ancient Gemarah is very important to me because it is one of the oldest artifacts still in my family. It is probably most important to my father, Leon, because this is the only item that he has that had belonged to his grandfather. My father was named after his grandfather but he never got to meet him; that's why it is so important to him. This Gemarah was found after the war in a basement in Poland, and it was returned to my grandparents and passed down to my father.
This Gemarah was used by my great grandfather to learn before World War II. Gemarah means "to complete". Why does it mean complete? It means "complete" because it explains the Mishna and completes it. The Gemarah consists mainly of commentary on the Mishnah.
Siddur
Syria
Teddy B.
To my family this siddur means a lot because it means that my great grandpa from my mom's side was religious and brought it with him wherever he went. He really cared about it because he had it since his bar mitzva at age 13 and now he has passed away.
When a person hits the beginning of age 13 he is considered a "bar mitzvah", which means he is a true man. This means he must pray to G-d everyday. When a boy hits this age he is responsible to be a good person and keep Torah and mitzvot.
Tehillim books- translated in Arabic
Egypt
Isaac C,
My great grandfather, Vita C., would spend each night translating Tehillim books into Arabic. Picture him with a glass of tea with books, pens, and paper scattered around a round table and someone studying. That was my great grandfather. It took him a very long time to translate the book but he wouldn't give up and he translated about 6-10 books. If he didn't know a translation, he was determined to go and look it up. He worked on this project in Egypt.
This small book is burgundy colored. The books are very delicate.
The books that my great grandfather translated were Tehillim books. Tehillim is a prayer that Jewish people say for the sick.
Machzor
Italy
Albert C.
This Machzor for Sukkot was given to my grandfather, Shaya C. A very big special rabbi from Italy gave it to my grandpa in Aleppo. This is a very special book because there were not many printed; it was a limited edition. The rabbi was from a Jewish community that settled in Livorno, Italy after leaving Spain.
My grandpa was able to bring the Machzor from Aleppo to America.
Every Sukkot my grandfather used to pray from the Machzor for Sukkot. Now my family prays with it every Sukkot.
Tanach
Poland
Jacob K.
The 10 commandments and the Torah was given on Mount Sinai from God to Moses. It was the most significant gift to the Jews and that same gift was given to Jacob K., my grandfather. All the secrets of the world are in the book and the prophets and their writings are in the book as well. Therefore, it is the most precious gift someone can receive. In Hebrew, it is called a Tanach. It has been in my family for 300 years.
This is a very significant artifact to Jewish history. The Jewish religion is based on the 10 commandments and the Torah. Jewish people live their lives according to the Torah. It has all our laws and traditions. It is the Jews most sacred book.
Chumash
Israel
David B.
This artifact belonged to my grandpa, Mordechai B. He received it on his Bar Mitzvah day. My grandfather would use this Chumash every time he read or learned Chumash. He gave it to my uncle David and David gave it to me.
This Chumash was used to learn Torah. It was used almost every week. My grandfather would learn and teach with it many times. A Chumash is the "Jewish Bible." It is written in Hebrew. It is filled with events that had happened thousands of years ago.
French Machzor
Egypt
Victor S.
My Grandfather, Victor S., took this book with him when he came from Egypt to America in 1961. In Egypt my grandparents only spoke French therefore, this Machzor is in French and Hebrew.
Jewish people used to use this book on Yom Kippur to pray. Many Jewish people in Egypt did not speak Hebrew fluently so they usually said the prayers in French.
Siddur
Israel
Celia C.
When my great grandfather Ezra A. C. passed away, the family gave his siddur to Albert A. C. my grandfather. My Grandpa Albert C. passed away before I was born, I can only imagine how important it was to him because it was his siddur. Praying was very important to my great-grandfather.
The significance of this artifact to my family is that when my little brother Elliott saw it, he immediately wanted to pray out of this book. I am almost positive my great-grandfather and his great-grandfather prayed with the same tune and the same text.