Religious Attire
You wear a kippah, tefillin and a tallit when you pray. For all three of these examples of religious attire the center of gravity is on the upper body. They each are placed on a different part of the body; the tallit hangs on the neck, the kippah goes on the head, and tefillin go on your arm and forehead.
Great Grandpa Harry's Yarmulke
Israel
My dad
Wearing this yarmulke makes my dad feel very happy because he loved his grandpa very much. It helps him feel close to his grandpa.
This yarmulke helps me to appreciate how special my great grandpa was. Even though I never met him, it helps me understand how special he was to his whole family.
My great grandfather's Tefillin
Likely NYC
My grandmother
The tefillin was originally owned by my great-grandfather Moe. It was given to him by his father, my great-great-grandfather, Max, on the day of his bar mitzvah in 1922.
Papa Moe grew up in a strict orthodox home. He wanted to become "American", which is why he changed his name from Moishe to Moe. Although Yiddish was his first language, he didn't teach it to Grammie or her brother. Grammie remembered that Papa Moe honored his parents and two older brothers when they died by going to shul in the morning and evening and saying the Mourner's Kaddish twice a day for eleven months. He used these tefillin in the morning.
My Grandfather's Tallit
Unknown
My mother
My grandfather originally owned the tallit. We think he got it for his bar mitzvah. My mother and father used it at their wedding and have kept it ever since. They also used it at my brother's bris and I plan to use it at my bat mitzvah.
When I look at my grandfather's tallit, I feel a surge of pride. He got called to the Torah in this! My mother and father got married draped in it! And the next person who uses it will be me at my bat mitzvah.
My Grandfather's Tallit
Russia or Poland
My grandfather
This is the tallit that my grandfather used at his bar mitzvah and he's passed it down to me. This tallit makes me feel pride and love for my family, and gives me a feeling of responsibility to carry on my family's Jewish heritage.
This symbolizes my family's dedication to Judaism, and the importance of rituals and tradition to all of us.
The Living Museum is a project of the Education Department of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
The Living Museum is made possible through the generous support of The Covenant Foundation. The statements made and the views
expressed, however, are solely the responsibility of the grantee.