Jewish Lifestyles
By Victoria, Irwin, Lizzy, Jill, Kitana
The Jewish Lifestyles gallery contains old items from our ancestors. The artifacts take us on a journey to our past when our great grandparents lived. This gallery shows us amazing artifacts used on Shabbat like Kitana's Candelabra and Danielle's wine dispenser. Alex Mamiye’s veil was worn at the Brit Milah of many of her ancestors. Jack brought in Tefillin used in daily prayers, and Lizzy brought in a Jude star from Poland when Jewish people may weren’t allowed to practice their religion freely. The artifacts all represent Jewish traditions and ways of life. Jill's Torah Pointer is used for keeping the place in the Torah and Irwin’s Passover artwork is used for decoration in the house. All artifacts in this gallery reflect the Jewish traditions and practices of our ancestors and continue today.
Jude Star
Wtslwik, Poland
My grandfather, Mori S, received it from my great-grandfather when he was 94 years old.
During the Holocaust in Poland, the Germans forced my great-grandfather to wear something that showed he was Jewish. My great- grandfather, Sol S, was a tailor, so he made yellow triangles and gave them out to the Jews to wear during the Holocaust.
The Germans intended it to be a symbol of humiliation but, to us it represents the strength of my great-grandfather. It shows what he went through. Not many actual Jude Stars still exist today.
Shabbat Candelabra
USA
Karen M.S.
My great grandmother, Yolanda M, came from Czechoslovakia. Before the Holocaust, her family was very wealthy. Every Shabbat, she would always light candles on their special candelabra when she was growing up. After she survived the Holocaust, she moved to Manhattan and saved up enough money to buy a beautiful candelabra of her own.
Dating back a hundred years ago, my great, great grandmother lit candles on Shabbat, and my great grandmother of course did too with this special candelabra. My grandmother lights candles today. This just goes to show you that Judaism still has the same importance in our family from generation to generation.
Brit Milah Veil
Aleppo, Syria
Great Aunt Lily G.
This is a veil that my great Aunt Lily lent to me. It was passed down from my great great great grandmother. It was used at the brit milah by the mother or grandmother of the baby boy who was being circumcised. It was worn over a woman's head during a brit milah. My ancestors used the veil to cover their heads as they carried the baby at the brit milah.
The tradition goes way back when Abraham, one of our forefathers, had a brit Milah and that mitzvah got passed down from generation to generation. Brit means covenant and it represents the bond that man has with Hashem. Every Jewish boy has a brit milah 8 days after his birth because Hashem told Abraham to have a brit milah.
Tefillin
Syria
Grandpa Jack and Grandma Camille
After my Great-Grandfather, Eli G. passed away,my Grandpa Jack found his father's תפילין(Tefillin) and kept it to remind him of his father.
תפילין (Tefillin) is one of the three signs of our remembrance of leaving Egypt. The two other signs are: 1)שבת (Sabbath) and holidays, 2)a ברית מילה (Brit Milah. All three of these have two things in common: They were all commanded by G-d and also they all remind us of leaving Egypt.
Microcalligraphy of Passover Haggada
America
Esther S.
This artifact is artwork. It is microcalligraphy of a Passover haggada. It came from America, was made in the 1960s, and my Grandma Esther S. lent it to me. My great grandma bought it from Moshe Dadoun. This is one out of only 300 that were made. It also has the entire Passover Haggada written on it. On Passover we have this artifact hanging right next to us.
A Passover Haggada is used on Passover holiday when the whole family sits and reads the Haggada. The Haggada tells the story of when and how the Jewish people left Eygpt.
Wine Dispenser
Europe
Arlene E.
This wine dispenser was given to my grandma by her grandfather when he left Europe. He was a religious man so it was used every Friday night for Shabbat.
The significance is that every Friday night my grandma uses it for Kiddush, in memory of her grandfather. Hopefully this will be a family tradition for generations to come.
Torah Pointer
Venice, Italy
Brother Morris G.
My Grandfather, Morris, was learning from the Torah with help from our Rabbi. While learning he was skipping lines, so he decided to get a pointer. After a few years he decided to collect them and give them out to his grandsons at their Bar Mitzvah. He and his wife, Jill, travelled the world for work and vacation and from every stop he bought a pointer. Now that he has passed there is a glass safe with hundreds of pointers and they look even more beautiful every time I look at them.
This pointer was used to keep the place in the Torah.