Sweetheart Pin

Similar to the WWII sweetheart pin, or fraternity pins, this was the first sweetheart pin given to Dallas AZA’s first Sweetheart, Pearl Freed Klausner in the late 1930s. The pin has the Star of David, and is connected by a chain to a horn with the word “Sweetheart” on it.

BBYO is currently made up of The Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) founded in 1924, and the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) which was founded in 1944. Because the BBG was founded later, the sweetheart pin was most likely given out by members of the AZA to girls they socialized with. 

From the Debbie Schweig Collection

 

Shield of David Award

Harold Schackman was the recipient of the “Shield of David Award” that is given out by the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA).

AZA states this about the award:

“One of the most historic and prestigious honors awarded to an Aleph, the Shield of David Award, recognizes Alephs who throughout their tenure in the Aleph Zadik Aleph have displayed outstanding leadership contributions, a consistent commitment to the fraternity that is AZA, and a consistently participated across all tiers of the Order – Chapter, Council, Regionally and Globally.”

The award arrived at DJHS in poor condition due to age-related wear, but it is currently stabilized in our vault, so no further stress is placed on the item. In the future, conservation may be used to restore the item.

From the Harold Schackman Collection

 

WWII Military Bag and Materials

Lieutenant Sol Kaplan’s WWII military bag was donated to the DJHS archive in 2005. The bag has his name written on the outside, which he probably wrote himself to differentiate from other soldiers. The bag contained such things as artillery school books, colored pencils, metal tacks, a ruler, and a notebook filled with letter-writing materials. The bottom of the bag has staining and holes from usage by Lieutenant Sol Kaplan.

From the Kaplan Family Collection

 

Leroy Gerald Lewin, World War II Army

In the DJHS archive, we have Leroy Gerald Lewin’s World War II Army Dress Jacket, which was donated by his daughter. Over the right breast pocket is his name pin, and over the left pocket are his medals and insignia.

The medals denote the following (Top-Bottom; L-R):

Bronze Star
Army Commendation
Purple Heart
Likely Philippine Liberation with bronze service star, displayed upside down
Armed Forces Reserve with hourglass device denoting 10+ years of service
Unidentified (if you know, please leave a comment– we’re stumped!)
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
American Campaign
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with two bronze service stars and a bronze arrowhead. The bronze arrowhead is a device signifying participation in a military assault, by land or by sea
WWII Victory

The jacket also features lapel insignia, a tank in front of crossed sabers, indicating that Leroy Lewin was part of the Armor division. This insignia design came into style after 1950.

From the Leroy Lewin Collection

 

#41 Yaacov Agam, Star of David

Yaacov Agam was born in Rishon-le-Zion, Palestine (now Israel), in 1928. In 1979, Agam was asked to make a work of art to commemorate the peacemaking efforts between Anwar el-Sādāt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel.

He created the Star of Peace, a Kinetic sculpture that appeared from one direction to be the five-pointed star of Islam, from another, the six-pointed Star of David, and from a third, a new star formed from their fusion. Agam’s works on paper are colorful, full of lines and shapes, while his sculptures have simple lines. Most of his works refer back to his heritage and Jewish culture. Agam currently lives in Paris and is 91 years old.

From the Ginger Jacobs Collection

 

Palizzio, New York

These white shoes, believed to have been produced by Palizzio, were worn by Annie Selikoff on her wedding day.

Palizzio was founded by Reuben and Leo Gordon from New York and was around from 1943-1980’s.  Palizzio created high quality shoes and purses that matched. They were once sold by big department stores such as Macy’s and Saks Fifth Ave. In 1955 famous artist Andy Warhol created multiple advertisement posters for the company, with ink drawn shoes and handbags.

From the Annie Selikoff Laves Collection