by DJHS Archivist | Nov 10, 2020 | From the Archive |
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, “Our knowledge of Torah cases and mitpaḥot in pre-modern times is meager; the process whereby the case evolved from a mere receptacle for carrying the Torah into a sacred artifact can at most be conjectured.”
Here we have a sefer torah scroll within a cylindrical “tik” or case with an onion shaped crown.“Cases may be adorned with colorful drawings or covered with leather, fabric, or beaten silver plates”. This particular case is composed of silver-colored plastic and adorned with hanging baubles and red and blue tones. Torah cases come in a variety of shapes, and styles that stem from different regions of the world. The onion shaped crown stems from Babylonian communities.
Dorothy Wolchansky Collection
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/torah-ornaments
http://www.stam.net/silver-torah-case.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_Torah#Torah_ark,_rollers,_casing_and_decorations
by DJHS Archivist | Nov 5, 2020 | From the Archive |
This Tefillin bag belonged to Charles Kassel. On one side of the velvet bag has a “C” and “K”, his initials, and on the other side the Magen David, or Star of David, is embroidered with the Hebrew year 5653, which translates to 1982 or 1893 in the Gregorian calendar, depending on the specific date. The velvet bag with a drawstring closure on top looks very similar to bags from Europe in the early 1900s (example linked below). The velvet bag holds Tefillin, or phylacteries, which are small black leather cases containing a Hebrew text that, traditionally, observant Jewish men tie to their arm and head during daily prayers.
Public records indicate that Charles (1877-1943) is buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas.
Charles Kassel Collection
http://cja.huji.ac.il/browser.php?mode=set&id=4639
by DJHS Archivist | Nov 3, 2020 | From the Archive |
These “I Love Israel” drumsticks were given out during “Blue & White Night,” held on May 9, 2019, for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ Israel Week Celebration, in Zale Auditorium at the Jewish Community Center. The invitation said, “Celebrate the beauty and excitement that is Israel! Come see Zale transformed like never before! Featuring Israeli performance group, Jaman, for a night of music, dance, light and more!”
Israel Week has long been a celebration embraced by the Dallas Jewish community in commemoration of the formation of Israel in May 1948.
Debra Polsky Collection
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