Judaic
Plaque
Frankfurt, Germany
In Frankfurt, Germany during the year of 1907 Emil I received a plaque for contributing to building the first Brewer shul. Mr. I helped contribute to the building of the shul by donating money to the executives who were involved in the process. Emil was also involved in overseeing the building of the shul. As a result of Emil’s contribution, the shul was able to expand, and accommodate a larger number of men and women in the community. Betty was Emil’s wife, and she sadly passed away in the year 1924. Emil and his wife, Betty had nine children and Gabrielle’s maternal great-great grandmother was the oldest one. In 1938, after Kristallnacht, Emil escaped Germany and went to live with one of his nine children. Gabrielle's maternal great grandmother now has the plaque in her possession. The plaque is significant because it symbolizes the connection between Gabrielle’s family and the Jewish community. The heirloom also symbolizes how Gabrielle’s maternal great-great-great grandfather contributed to something important for the Jewish people.
This plaque shows how dedicated Emil I is to Judaism and the relationship he had between his family and the community.
Kiddush Cup
United States
Jonathan W's paternal grandfather, Yossi W, received this kiddush
cup for his bar mitzvah from a famous rabbi in Crown Heights, Brooklyn in
1955. This famous person was known as The Riglitzer Rabbi. Jonathan’s grandfather then passed this kiddush cup down to Jon, his first grandson. Jon and his family use this kiddush cup every shabbos. Aside from being a beautiful silver kiddush cup, this cup has been used and cherished by Jon’s grandfather as it was his first very own kiddush cup received as a Bar Mitzvah.
Jonathan will one day pass down this kiddush cup to his grandchildren, as it will stay in the family for many years to come.
Seder Plate
Israel
It was August 1951, and Mia G’s maternal great grandfather, Louis Schin, had just moved to America with his wife Masha. Louis and Masha met in a DP (Displaced Persons) Camp in Munich, Germany. Louis was a partisan during the war. His job was to save Jewish children, keep them safe, and teach them Hebrew. He did this so that if all the adults were killed by the Nazis, at least the children could continue reading Torah. Masha lived in a barn in a small Polish village after
she escaped the Vilna Ghetto. The Polish people agreed not to tell the Nazis about Masha because she worked as a midwife for the townspeople. In exchange for her helping the people, they agreed to hide her until the war ended. Louis and Masha lost everything in the Holocaust, including all their belongings and most of their family. The only other surviving member of Louis’s family was his brother, Zalman S. He moved to Israel after the war. The brothers had different last names because Louis’s last name was changed to S when he came to Ellis Island. Louis and Masha came to America with no money. The holiday of Pesach was fast approaching, and Zalman felt badly for his brother because he didn't have anything to help him celebrate the holiday. In March 1952, Zalman decided to send his brother a seder plate from the kibbutz where he lived in Israel. The seder plate he sent was a handmade seder plate made of bronze and metal. This seder plate was special to Louis and Masha because it was the first Jewish object they owned after the Holocaust. The seder plate is also
special because the shape of the state of Israel looks different than it does on today’s maps. This is because the kibbutz Zalman lived on believed in the greater Israel. This seder plate will be cherished by the B and G families for years to come. It is a symbol of hope during a very dark time.
This seder plate allowed Louis, Masha, and their child, to celebrate the holiday of Pesach in their new homeland, while continuing the traditions of their families that were killed during the Holocaust.
Tallit
Israel
Yaakov F will be receiving this טלית from his father who got the טלית from his paternal grandfather. He received this טלית after World War II from his parents in Israel. Yaakov F’s
great grandfather survived the war, and then he went to Israel to see his parents. There he received this טלית as a gift. This טלית is very special to the F family because it was made in Israel and was used by Yaakov's family since then.
This טלית will be cherished for years to
come.
Chuppah
United States
Chaviva O received this chuppah from her paternal great-great grandfather Rabbi Yacov Eskolsky. He was the first rabbi of the Bialystoker shul in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He bought this chuppah in the early 1900’s in Europe. This chuppah is significant to the O family because it was passed down to every generation and used when someone in the family got married.
This chuppah was used for hundreds of Jewish weddings from Europe to America.
Kiddush Cup
Poland
In 1983, Cantor David S. was about to die when he gave Dylan S's paternal
grandfather, Abraham, his silver kiddush cup. David bought this kiddush cup to use for wedding services under the chuppa. The kiddush cup was in the cantor’s tallit bag for 49 years during his career as a cantor. Dylan S's family has kept this heirloom for 95 years as a reminder of Cantor David. David composed many tunes to zmirot such as Eshes Chayil which he sang at
shul and during the wedding ceremonies.
Dylan’s father and grandfather use these tunes in shul and on shabbos today as well. The kiddush cup is considered a link to David and his music.
Chuppah
Poland
Ryan w's received this chuppah from Ryan’s maternal great grandparents. Ryan’s great grandparents first got married under this chuppah. It was first used in Antepol, Poland. Then they moved to Pruzana after they got married. Ryan was actually named after his great grandfather, Ephraim Michal Pruzansky. This chuppah was made out of cloth in Poland, and it emigrated from Pruzana to New York in 1939 with Ryan's great grandparents.
Ryan’s family members continue the tradition and get married under this chuppah.
Seder Plate
United States
This seder plate once belonged to Erin H’s paternal great grandparents. It was a gift from Beverly, Erin's grandmother, and Stanley, Erin's uncle. This seder plate came from an Israeli fair in New York. Stanley and Beverly bought this seder plate to honor Erin H’s paternal great grandparents before they traveled to Israel for a convention.
The H family will continue to use this seder plate for years to come.
Chuppah
United States
Stefanie L’s maternal great grandmother and great grandfather Miriam and Israel
W’s dream was to have their own chuppah. Stefanie’s great grandparents could not afford a chuppah of their own. When Stefanie’s mother was getting married, her grandmother thought of the chuppah once again. The chuppah was made in the United States by an artist.
Once her family had enough money, they commissioned an artist to make it.
Now that all of Stefanie’s aunts, uncles, and cousins got married, Stefanie hopes to get the honor of getting married under it as well
Kiddush Cup
Poland
Jacob B received this kiddush from his paternal grandfather. Jacob B’s grandfather was given this kiddush cup from his grandmother when they were living in Poland. This kiddush cup was sent out of Poland in 1931. The cup was the last item sent out by Jacob B’s family in Poland. Jacob B’s grandfather wanted the cup stored in a holy place so he left it with his daughter in Israel.
This kiddush cup is very special to the B family.
Kiddush Cup
Hungary
Jack S received this kiddush cup from his maternal grandfather, Jack Pahmer. Jack S's grandfather purchased this kiddush cup in Hungary. He bought it in 1940 and used every week to bless the wine for Shabbat. This kiddush cup symbolizes Jack Pahmer’s dedication to Judaism, specifically the mitzvah of kiddush.
This lesson is something Jack S doesn’t take for granted.
Tallis
Israel
The object that Charlotte B. received from her maternal grandfather was his tallis. Charlotte’s grandfather, Jay W., was a Holocaust survivor who was never able to have a bar-mitzvah since he was sent to Auschwitz. Fortunately, he survived the concentration camp while everyone else in his family perished. Later in life, he met Charlotte’s grandmother in Israel. Before their wedding in May of 1958, his future mother in-law bought him a tallis. This was his first religious item that he received since the Holocaust. Every single day Jay davened with his tallis until the day he died. Charlotte’s parents used Jay’s tallis at their wedding as a chuppa, and her son JayJay used the tallis at his bar mitzvah.
The B. family hopes to use Jay’s tallis in their future simchas.
Tefillin Boxes
Israel
Sarit C's paternal great grandfather Joseph bought these tefillin boxes on a trip to Israel while living in Austria. These boxes are significant in Sarit’s family because it is a reminder of her great grandfather. Sarit’s great grandfather used these tefillin boxes each time he davened. It has been passed to many of Sarit’s relatives including her father who now owns these
tefillin boxes. To Sarit, it symbolizes family and unity, and she hopes that these tefillin boxes stay in her family for years to come.
Sarit hopes that her great grandfather's legacy will live on.
Siddur
Yemen
This siddur belonged to Maya B's maternal grandfather Tzion A. Tzion’s parents gave this siddur as a present to Tzion when he turned 13. It was specially designed for Tzion in a store for sefarim in Yemen. He thought that this was an unnecessary gift from
his parents as he wasn't religious. He didn't know that in the future this siddur would be his best friend. When Tzion’s mom died, and he was sitting shivah, he didn’t let go of the
siddur. It showed how much it meant to him.
Later on when he grew up, got married and had children in Israel he gave the siddur to his second daughter Kineret, Maya's mother.
Kiddush Cup
Hungary
Liev M. received this cup from his maternal great-great grandfather, Isaac G. Isaac received the cup as a wedding gift. The cup was one of the few objects Isaac brought with him to the United States, and that is why it’s so important. He always used this cup as Elijah’s Cup during the Pesach Seder. It’s now a M., S., and W family tradition to use this cup as Elijah’s Cup to remember Isaac’s bravery.
If it wasn't for him, the families
might not be in America today.
Seder Plate
United States
Carly P’s maternal great grandfather, Joel M., built a seder plate
circa 1960. At the time Joel and his wife lived in Baltimore, Maryland. This
seder plate is significant to Carly’s family because it is a connection that
they still have with Joel, and the seder revolves around the plate. Joel was always good at woodwork and building. He happened to see a picture in a haggadah of a beautiful seder plate so he decided to make an identical seder plate to the one he saw in the haggadah. Before Joel died, he and his wife used the plate every year, and when he died Carly’s great grandmother would use it wherever she was for Pesach. When she died,
either Carly’s grandmother or great uncle used it.
Ever since Carly’s great
uncle died, Carly’s grandparents use it and it has been used every year
since Joel made it.
Kiddush Cup
Poland
This kiddush cup, used to make a special blessing over wine on Shabbat and holidays, is originally from Poland, in a town called Rachov in the district of Lublin. It belongs to Amanda S’s maternal grandfather, Rabbi
Eli Fishman, whose family owned and used it in the 1930s. Amanda S’s grandfather's family owned many religious objects, but this kiddush cup is the only one the family still owns. Amanda’s grandfather's entire family was killed in the Holocaust and all of their possessions were stolen by their Polish neighbors or by the Nazis. However, one of Amanda’s grandfather's maternal aunts became a pioneer and left the home to go to the Israel, which was then called Palestine, in 1935. Amanda’s grandfather’s aunt Leah took very few objects from her home with her, just a few photographs, a set of Shabbat candlesticks now used by her daughter's family, and this kiddush cup. Aunt Leah and Amanda’s grandfather cried and hugged for a long time when they met again on his first visit to Israel in 1965. She was so happy to give him a picture of his family and this kiddush cup to bring back to America. This kiddush cup has great meaning to Amanda’s family, as it is one of the few items that connects them. Amanda’s grandfather says that his kiddush cup reminds him that his family gave their lives "Al Kiddush HaShem" (to sanctify the name of Hashem). Amanda’s family loves to use this kiddush cup because it signifies to them that the Jewish people will always survive.
No matter who tries to harm the Jews, they will always have their faith.
Kiddush Cup
Poland
Ben W’s maternal great-great-great grandfather sent a postcard to his family in America. During the Holocaust Louis Silverstein’s family went to America. Louis had to stay in Poland. He had lived there and the Nazis would not let him leave. He was lucky though, because his family had escaped. Also, he was lucky to have money to assist him in this dangerous time. This
postcard is how he told his family he was coming to America. One of the things Louis took with him was this kiddush cup.This cup and postcard has been passed down in his family for four
generations.These objects are very important to the B family.
One day Ben W hopes to get these objects and pass them down in his family.