A Treasured Legacy: Shabbat

easured Legacy r T A

Shabbat

the michael klein collection The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah 1

This booklet is one in a series to catalogue “A Treasured Legacy,” The Michael Klein Collection at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. Each volume features collection objects created in service of different aspects of Judaism and/or Jewish life. Communities from around the world spanning over 2,000 years of history are represented in the collection by works of art, ritual objects, historic artifacts, and synagogue ornaments, all guided by the principle of hiddur mitzvah, the beautification of ritual items. Local customs and universal rituals are all woven together in the Michael Klein Collection’s display.

All are welcome to visit B’nai Jehudah and view the permanent and changing displays of the Klein Collection.

Guided group tours are available with advance notice.

12320 Nall Avenue Overland Park, Kansas 66209 913-663-4050 curator@bnaijehudah.org Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Closed Saturday; By Appointment Only Sunday

www.bnaijehudah.org/kleincollection

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easured Legacy r T A

Shabbat

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of Adonai your God.” Exodus 20:8 Shabbat is one of the revolutionary concepts of Judaism. This fundamental Jewish holiday is a weekly oasis in time, a period of rest and tranquility, opposed to the drudgery of the work week. More than just a day off from labor, Shabbat is a day of physical and spiritual renewal as well as a reminder of the purposefulness of God’s creation and the role of human beings within it.

Paper Cut aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa Mary Etta Moore, 1991

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Pre parati on for sh abbat aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

In traditional domestic settings, women prepare the home for Shabbat while men are at the synagogue. In one Talmudic story, two angels accompany a man home from the synagogue to make certain everything is prepared, one angel representing positive forces and the second negative forces. On arrival, if the house is prepared with candles lit, the table set and all in order, the positive angel says: “May it be thus for another Shabbat.” The negative angel must affirm this and say: “Amen.” If the house is not ready for Shabbat, the negative angel says: “May it be thus for another Shabbat.” The positive angel must affirm and say: “Amen.”

A r r i va l o f S a b b at h A n g e ls To illustrate Abraham Joshua Heschel’s 1951 book “The Sabbath,” Ilya Schor created this 5-1/2” x 4-1/4” block print showing the two angels arriving with the father from the synagogue.

Tradition holds that after the temple was destroyed, the Jewish home became a temple and the table became an altar. The tradition is illustrated by showing the two temple columns at the entrance and the table positioned as an altar.

Children’s Wood Puzzles Developed in the 1970s as part of a Jewish-themed puzzle series, these puzzles illustrate Shabbat. The first shows a mother and her children polishing the candlesticks in preparation for Shabbat. After lighting the candles, the next puzzle shows them moving to cover their eyes before saying the Shabbat blessings. These 9-1/2” puzzles were developed

by Michael Klein for Constructive Playthings and made in Israel by “Bumi” Egozi. They were sold worldwide.

Cholent Pot Among the commandments for observing Shabbat is a prohibition from cooking. To guarantee a hot meal during the holiday, the ingredients of a stew called “cholent” would be placed in a pot and taken to a local bakery on Friday before sundown. The pot’s contents would cook slowly in the residual heat of the large stone oven and be ready for a mid-day meal on Saturday. If this process sounds familiar, a Jewish man was inspired by his grandmother’s cholent pot to invent an electric version for his wife. That invention became today’s slow cooker! This 7”-tall ceramic pot is from early 20th-century Poland. It is labeled with the family name “Perles” to avoid confusion when people returned to the communal oven to retrieve their family pot.

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S h a b b at H e a d C o v e r s aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

Celebrating the joyous day of Shabbat calls for wearing one’s best clothing. Women have long worn special Shabbat head coverings.

Pictured is one with embroidered gold and metallic threads with tiny pearls. This 9” cap has a long ribbon to tie into a bow. The other cap has Spanier Arbeit (Spanish lace work), a technique using gold and silver thread. This technique was used exclusively for objects of Jewish use.

These head coverings are from Central Europe, late 19th century.

M e n i n S h a b b a t D r e ss During a trip to Palestine in the 1940s, Lionel Reiss painted this late Friday afternoon scene. It depicts a group of Hasidic men in Shabbat garb on the way to the Western Wall to pray before going home to celebrate Shabbat. The 13”-high watercolor pulses with the anticipation of the start of Shabbat.

S h a b b at “ B e n tc h e r ” Part of the preparations include setting out a Shabbat “bentcher” (book) containing the Shabbat prayers and songs for entertainment after the meal, as well as prayers and songs for the closing Havdalah service. This unique bentcher was commissioned by Peter Ehrenthal in the 1990s in Israel.

Each 9” x 12” parchment page has beautiful hand-painted gouache pictures that reflect the hand-lettered prayers.

Peter Ehrenthal was a Romanian-American silversmith who created beautiful Judaic ritual objects.

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SH ABBAT LI G HT S aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

“Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space. You hallow us with Your mitzvot and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.“ On Friday evening just before sunset, the kindling of light is the first part of ushering in Shabbat. The lights can be from oil, candles, or even electricity. At least two lights are lit, symbolizing the two mitzvot (commandments) of Shabbat, which are to remember the day of Shabbat and observe Shabbat to make it holy.

The transformative act of kindling the Shabbat lights imbues the everyday space of Jewish homes with a touch of holiness and peace. The duty to kindle Shabbat lights is not described in the Torah but appears in rabbinic literature.

C l a ss i c P o l i s h C a n d l e s t i c k s Czarist Russia licensed only a few firms to make silver Jewish ritual items like these Shabbat candlesticks made in the classic fashion of the time. These 15-3/4”-high silver candlesticks date from the 1880s.

W o o d S h a b b at C a n d l e s t i c k s

B r a ss C a n d l e s t i c k s

Lovingly carved on the base, “In honor of the holy Sabbath,” these 10”-high folk art candlesticks date from about 1800. Any material can be used to make Shabbat candlesticks. In Ukraine, where these originated, and in much of Eastern Europe, Jewish woodcarvers were prolific in their creation of folk art.

Most Eastern European Jews could not afford silver candlesticks. Brass candlesticks like these 9-1/2”-high examples were the Shabbat candlesticks commonly found in Jewish homes.

S h a b b at C a n d e l a b r u m Some Jewish families have a tradition of kindling more than two lights for Shabbat. Often there is a candle for each child. These 19th-century examples proudly display the Polish eagle. Standing 20-1/2” tall, the brass lamps are cast with lions and flowers, and are engraved with the blessing for kindling the Shabbat lights.

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“J u d e n s t e r n ” L a mps aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

Oil-burning, star-shaped hanging lamps were the common source of light in houses throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Like their neighbors, Jewish families used these lamps for general illumination. They also used them in ritual practice to signify the start of Shabbat and holidays. Around the 16th century, these lamps fell out of style for general lighting but Jews continued to use them for rituals. As the lamps became associated with Jews, they became known as “Judenstern,” or “Jewish Star.” Some lamps combined candles for general lighting with the cast oil fonts that were used for Shabbat and holidays.

H a n g i n g “J u d e n s t e r n ” H o l i d a y L a mp Hanging 33”, this early 19th-century “Judenstern” lamp was most likely not only the focal point of the owner’s home but also a proud assertion of the family’s Jewish identity. Constructed to hold candles for regular use during the week, it has an oil-burning “star” at the bottom for Shabbat and holiday use. Beautiful decorative elements include flowers and mermen blowing horns along with plaques bearing the Shabbat lighting blessing.

The house at the top of the lamp has eight figures in the windows. Each figure represents a Jewish holiday with the figure holding symbolic objects: an etrog and a lulav for Sukkot, a shofar for Rosh Hashanah, two tablets of the law for Shavuot, and more. Shabbat dinner with this lamp burning overhead would be a special experience.

B r a ss “J u d e n s t e r n ” Typical of 18th- and 19th-century brass hanging lamps for Shabbat use found in Jewish homes, this 31”-high lamp has a ratchet to lower and raise the lamp for easy cleaning and filling with oil.

The oil would burn long enough to provide light all evening on Shabbat. From the Family of Judge Howard Sachs.

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W o l p e r t P s a l m 9 5 S h a b b at C a n d l e H o l d e r Designed circa 1970 by Ludwig Wolpert, the Shabbat candle holder stands 17” tall and is made from brass on a wood base. The Hebrew letters which make up the body of this candle holder spell out the first verse of the Kabbalat Shabbat, a prayer from Psalm 95:

“Come let us sing joyfully to Adonai, let us call out to the rock of our salvation.“

W a l l S h a b b a t L a mp Beautifully embossed in 1632 in Holland, the 17” brass backplate has in Hebrew: “Shabbat Kodesh” (Holy Sabbath), along with flowers and leaves around the border. The backplate supports two copper candleholders.

“Pillars of Light” Candlesticks The glass shafts of these Shabbat candlesticks are etched in Hebrew with the blessing for the kindling of the Shabbat lights. Standing 9-1/2” tall, Michael Kupietzky designed these in 2003 with silver bases and tops.

Wolpert Candlesticks

Niello Candlesticks

The Hebrew inscription on these silver candlesticks comes from “Lecha Dodi,” sung to welcome Shabbat: “Rouse yourself! Your light is coming, rise up and shine.” These 11”-tall candlesticks were designed by Ludwig Wolpert circa 1960.

The niello silversmithing technique was used to create the designs on these 7-1/8”-high candlesticks. The Hebrew reads: “Holy Sabbath.”

A hidden feature of these early 20th century Ukrainian candlesticks is the Star of David. The triangles on the shaft make a Jewish star when viewed from the top.

S h a b b at H o u s e C a n d l e H o l d e r

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American artist Robert Lipnick created this unique ceramic house-shaped candle holder. Standing 13” tall, the lid comes off to reveal a wood tray: one side a Shabbat candleholder and the other side a Chanukah candleholder. Inside the house is storage space for candles. The colorful paintings include Noah’s Ark, Elijah’s chair, a spice box, a Torah, Shabbat candles, and other religious motifs. Created circa 1990, this piece can stand closed as a decorative sculpture.

S i l v e r O i l L a mp

P o s e n L a mp

Crafted of silver in Persia, this 6” oil lamp has seven fonts for wicks. The Hebrew engravings read: “Yom Tov” and “Shabbat.”

The German silversmith firm Posen created this 6-1/2” tabletop oil burning lamp around the turn of the 20th century. Its design is reminiscent of the hanging “Judenstern” lamps but in a modernized style for the German family that still wanted to burn oil in the new 20th century.

N o r t h A f r i c a n S h a b b a t L a mp A hamsa for luck and a fish for prosperity decorate this 8” silver lamp from North Africa. The two oil-burning wicks illuminate the Hebrew phrase “Shabbat Shalom.”

A f g h a n S h a b b a t L a mp This lamp is a reminder that Afghanistan was once home to a large Jewish community. Made of silver around 1920, it stands 5-3/4” tall.

Two bowls hold wicks to light for welcoming Shabbat. The Hebrew engraving on the center stave reads: “A light for Sabbath and holy festivals” and “Miriam, wife of Mullah Aba Na’amad.”

K a n d i l S h a b b a t L a mps aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

The lamps in this group are known as “Kandil” lamps. In a custom unique to Morocco, the lamps serve a dual purpose. In the year following a woman’s death the lamp is normally kindled at home on Shabbat. Then the lamp is dedicated to the synagogue in her memory. The lamps here are made from sheet metal and date from the first part of the 20th century.

K a n d i l L a mp w i t h C o i n s This 1939 lamp is engraved: “In honor of the Sabbath.” Attached are three Moroccan coins, one dated 1939. The 6”-high brass back plate has circular decoration reminiscent of a rose window.

B r a ss K a n d i l O i l L a mp H a ms a K a n d i l L a mp The 10”-high silver backplate is shaped like a hamsa and in Hebrew inscribed: “For Shabbat.”

The 5-3/4”-high brass lamp is inscribed in Hebrew: “To the eternal rest of the woman, the late Mira, may her soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life.”

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KIDDU SH aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

“Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.“ Before the festive Shabbat dinner is served, the Kiddush, a blessing over wine, is recited. Kiddush translates as “sanctification” and it verbally declares Shabbat, the seventh day of the week, as separate and holy. There is no special design requirement for a Kiddush cup but by tradition, a special cup is used. The materials and styles reflect the time, place, and wealth of the cup’s owner.

S a b b at h W i n e B ot t l e The carved glass body of this 9” wine bottle dates from 19th-century Syria. The silver spout and lid were made in London and added to the bottle in 1896. The Hebrew text reads: “God finished his work on the sixth day and rested on the seventh.”

Iraqi Kiddush Cup This large silver teacup-shaped Kiddush cup is 2” deep and was made circa 1900. The collection contains a second such cup that was fitted with a top and wick holders to be used as a chanukiah.

Coconut Shell Kiddush Cup

Hexagonal Kiddush Cup

Lidded Cup

Standing 8-3/4”-high, cups like this were popular around 1800 and were considered exotic. This example is engraved in Hebrew from Pirkei Avot: “Be strong as a lion, swift as a deer...to do the will of God.”

Certain styles of Kiddush cups are associated with different Jewish communities. Hexagonal cups were especially popular in Germany. This 5”-high cup dates from circa 1860 and is engraved in Hebrew: “Remember the Sabbath.”

This early 20th-century Persian silver cup has a Hebrew inscription for Shabbat. Standing 5-1/2” tall, it features fanciful engravings of animals and people.

Afghan Kiddush Cup Dated 1934, this 3-1/2” silver bowl-shaped cup was used by Afghan Jews to drink the anise-based liquor arak for Shabbat and holiday Kiddush. It is richly adorned with engravings of a Star of David, fish, birds, and more. The Hebrew dedication reads: “May you be granted many pleasant years of life in the celebration of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt and re-established speedily in our time. It shall be a cure to your body, and tonic to your bones. Chaim son of Aaron...”

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Covered Iraqi Cup

Horn Kiddush Cup

In the early 20th century, covered Kiddush cups like this one with a cast bird on the lid were popular in Iraq. Crafted in silver and standing 5” high, it is paired with a matching saucer.

Kiddush cups can be made from almost any material. This European cup is made from a ram’s horn. 4-3/4” tall, it is inscribed in Hebrew: “These are the festivals of Adonai.”

Piedmont Kiddush Cup

B a s a lt K i d d u s h C u p

Art Deco Kiddush Cup

Fanciful flowers typically top the lids on these tall Kiddush cups from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Crafted in the late 18th or early 19th century, this silver cup stands 16-1/2” tall. It is made in the Baroque style popular at the time and is similar to silver ritual objects used in churches.

In the late 19th century, Jewish tourists in Turkish Palestine often purchased souvenir ritual objects made of locally quarried basalt. This 4-1/4” cup was turned on a lathe, carved with imagery of local sites, and engraved: “Jerusalem.”

Reliefs of the Twelve Tribes of Israel are shown in the Art Deco style from the early 20th century.

The silver 7-3/4”-high cup is from British Mandate Palestine.

Rivers of Eden Kiddush Cup

Polish Kiddush Cup Crafted in silver about 1800, this 5-1/2” Kiddush cup has pictures and text from Pirkei Avot: “Fast as a tiger, strong as a lion, swift as a deer, and light as an eagle to do the will of God.”

While the silver filigree work on the outside of this 6” cup is beautiful, what is important is what is on the inside. The parcel-gilt interior has engravings of the names of the four rivers that flowed from the Garden of Eden. The names are arranged in 26 ways and, according to Kabbalah, create a powerful blessing of health, prosperity, and a long life when wine is drunk from the cup. Made in Israel in the 1940s.

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G l a ss K i d d u s h C u p

Persian Kiddush Cup

Kiddush Cup

Glass Kiddush cups from circa 1900 are fragile and rare. This surviving cup is 4-3/8” tall, made of red flashed glass with gold painted highlights. It pictures a tall menorah and the Hebrew text reads: “Holy Sabbath.” Most likely made in Bavaria.

Completely covered with the Hebrew blessing over wine, this 5”-high cup is silver from the late 19th century in Persia.

Only 3” tall, this Persian silver Kiddush cup is beautifully engraved with not only the Hebrew blessing over the wine but also a grape cluster, a Jewish star, and “Zion.” This diminutive cup is a beautiful addition to the Shabbat table.

Noah Halevi Cu p

Wolpert Kiddush Cup

Lithuanian Kiddush Cup

A rare, parcel silver, hexagonal shape cup with the inscription done in repousse. Made in Germany, the Hebrew inscriptions read: “This cup of blessing given to the Honorable and Esteemed Reb Noah Halevi from the Respectful Society of Benevolence and Truth,” and “In the year 1726.”

Elegantly crafted in silver by Ludwig Wolpert, this 8-1/2”-tall cup was designed in 1953 with Wolpert’s characteristic use of Hebrew lettering. On the base: “The nation that sanctifies the Sabbath,” and on the upper band, “Borei Pri Hagafen.”

Made in the mid-19th century, this cup reflects a common design for Kiddush cups from Lithuania.

Beautifully engraved, it stands 6-1/4” tall.

Sh m i rot Ki ddus h Cu p It was the custom of some Hasidic rabbis to give a blessed silver coin as an amulet. Such amuletic protection might be given for all types of life events from travel to recovery from illness.

These “Shmirot” coins were considered to have extraordinary power. After the events for which they were given had passed, the coins were sometimes used to make ritual objects. When melted with other silver, it is believed that the amulet’s power spread through all the silver. This 9” silver Kiddush cup with the figure on top is one such item from 19th-century Poland.

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K i d d u s h C u p i n P r e s e n tat i o n C a s e A 19th-century German Kiddush cup still in its original presentation case! The silver 11-3/4”-tall cup is unusual with its angel heads and wings.

Engraved in Hebrew: “A present to our teacher, the Rabbi Perez Zaiz.”

H A MOT Z I aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa S a lt B o x The contemporary Israeli silversmith Avi Biran made this 3” gold-plated box to hold salt used to salt challah on Shabbat. The Torah requires that the Temple sacrifices be offered with salt. After the destruction of the Temple, rabbinic literature suggests that a table set for a Shabbat meal symbolically replaced the Temple altar; therefore, the blessing over food should be recited with salt. Many Jews today still dip their first bit of challah each week in salt, to remind them of the destruction of the first and second Temples. Also, as a preservative, salt never spoils or decays and thus signifies the immortality of the bond of the eternal covenant between God and Israel.

“Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth.“ After the Kiddush, there is a blessing over bread. The traditional Shabbat table has two loaves of braided bread called “challah.” Our sages say that challah is covered during Kiddush so as not to embarrass it because it was passed over in favor of saying the blessing over the wine first. Two loaves represent the double portion of manna that fell from heaven on Friday so the wandering Hebrews in the desert would not have to work gathering manna on Shabbat.

S h a b b at C h a l l a h C o v e r Made from metallic embroidery on brown wool, this 20” German challah cover was made circa 1850 and the Hebrew is from Ecclesiastes 11:1 “Cast your bread on the water.”

S h a b b at K n i f e Some families tear pieces off the challah while some slice it with a knife. This silver knife made in Germany circa 1900 is embossed in Hebrew: “God’s blessing is to enrich your bread with joy.”

Challah Cover

C h a l l a h T r ay Crafted about 1900 in Germany, this 11”-wide sterling silver tray was used to hold a loaf of challah.

The Art Nouveau design has two bone plaques in Hebrew that read: “Shabbat Shalom.”

This Shabbat and holiday challah cover has sky blue embroidery on a silk background featuring the Hebrew text for the Kiddush on Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, and other holidays. Made in the early 20th century in Central Europe, it has colorful classic Jewish images within a beautiful border and is 22” x 20-1/4”.

BLE S SING OV E R C HILDREN aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

“May God make you like Ephriam and Menashe. May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. May God bless you and keep you. May God shine light on you and be gracious to you.

May God turn toward you and grant you peace.”

This page from the Ehrenthal Bentcher illustrates the custom of blessing the children on Shabbat. The custom comes from the Torah story of Jacob blessing his grandsons, Ephriam and Menashe, saying, “By you all of Israel give blessing.”

Today’s parents bless all children with a wish for well-being and peace.

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H AV DALAH aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

“We praise You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, Creator of the lights of fire.“ In the Jacob Steinhardt hand-colored block print, we see three stars in the Saturday night sky. Their appearance heralds the end of Shabbat and the start of the Havdalah ceremony. We bless the wine to sanctify the moment and sniff the spices to carry the sweet aroma of Shabbat into the new week. The first “work” of the new week is lighting the candle, demonstrating the conclusion of Shabbat. We drink the wine and then extinguish the candle. The ritual objects associated with Havdalah are functional (holders for the wine, spices, and candle). The artisans of these objects show great creativity and styles vary widely.

The braided Havdalah candle has at least three wicks. The multiple wicks symbolize the diversity of the Jewish people: woven together in unity and love, there is strength. After the candle is lit, there is a traditional practice to gaze at one’s cupped hand to observe the light of the candle glinting off the fingernails and the shadow cast by the fingers on the palm. This contemplation of light and dark reminds us of the distinction between the world that we can see around us and the hidden world of God’s presence.

H a v d a l a h C o mp e n d i u ms aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

Some cleverly designed Havdalah candle holders serve two purposes by also containing a spice box.

The families using these compendiums would likely use their regular Kiddush cup for the blessing of the Havdalah wine.

T h o m a s H o p f e l C o mp e n d i u m There was a large demand in early 19th-century Prague for new Jewish ceremonial objects to replace the ones that had been confiscated by the state to pay off debts. Thomas Hopfel, while not Jewish, focused his business on the Jewish community. In 1825, he created this 9-3/4” Havdalah compendium. When the adjustable candle support is lifted, a spice container is exposed.

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M a u r i c e M a y e r C o mp e n d i u m Active in mid-19th-century France, Maurice Mayer was the most prominent Jewish silversmith of that era. He not only made beautiful Jewish ritual items, but he was also silversmith to King Louis-Philippe and later Emperor Napoleon III. It was unusual for a Jewish silversmith to have such a prestigious appointment. Before the 19th century, Jews were normally banned from joining the guilds that controlled silversmithing. This beautiful 8”high compendium was later dedicated to Gilles Bernheimer, Chief Rabbi of France.

Havdal ah Sets aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

While the same Kiddush cup for Havdalah can be used for Shabbat and other holidays, and standalone spice holders are found in many households, other families prefer specially designed sets of all the necessary ritual objects.

P o s e n S i lv e r T h r e e - p i e c e H av d a l a h S e t Rejoicing during most Jewish holidays, such as Shabbat, is considered a Biblical commandment. Joy is a Jewish religious obligation. This hand-chased set was undoubtedly a special commission to bring some of the joy of Shabbat into the bittersweet goodbye of Havdalah. Lazarus Posen, a well-known Jewish silversmith from Frankfort, created this unusual set to add a touch of playfulness to the Havdalah ceremony. Made in the late 19th century, the 9-1/2” candle holder has a basket form base. The Kiddush cup is spiral-fluted with applied grapevines. The joyous design of the fantastical spice tower is unique in the field of Jewish ritual objects.

Wo lp e rt Havdal ah Set Ludwig Wolpert was known for creatively adding Hebrew into his designs of ritual objects. He designed this sterling silver set in the 1970s. The Kiddush cup, candle holder, and spice box are all pierced with Hebrew text for the blessings for wine, light, and spices. The set sits on an 8” diameter plate. Wolpert studied metalwork in his native Germany and emigrated to Palestine in 1933, where he taught at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts until coming to the U.S. in 1956. In the U.S., he established the Toby Pascher Workshop at the Jewish Museum of New York where this set was crafted.

T r av e l i n g S h a b b at / H av da l a h S e t When the cylinder top is unscrewed and the contents removed, everything for Shabbat and Havdalah is here! The 4-3/10”-high anodized aluminum cylinder becomes a Kiddush cup with two candle holders for Shabbat, a Havdalah candle holder, and a spice box. The lid can be used to hold wine to extinguish the Havdalah candle. Designed and crafted in Israel in the early 21st century by Yaakov Greenvucel.

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Spiceboxes aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

Sprig Holders aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

“We praise You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, Creator of varied spices.“

Primarily in Sephardic communities, a fresh fragrant sprig is sometimes used in place of dried spices.

Of all the ritual objects used in the Havdalah service, the most creative designs were reserved for the spiceboxes and other vessels used to hold aromatic herbs as a blessing is said over them. Havdalah marks the separation of the holy Shabbat day and the secular work week. The lingering aroma of spices bids a fragrant goodbye to Shabbat and as the aroma lingers, the spirit

After Sukkot, myrtle would be taken from the Lulav and placed in this container made of flexible, woven silver. During the Havdalah ceremony, the container would be flexed and the crushed myrtle would release its pleasant aroma. This 20”-long example of the flexible style is mostly used in Hasidic homes.

of Shabbat lingers. It was taught that people receive a second soul during Shabbat, and it leaves when Shabbat ends. The spices are used like smelling salts, to “wake up” your soul as the Shabbat soul departs.

Ram Spice Holder Clearly made to bring joy to children at Havdalah, this 5-1/4” piece has a ram sniffing flowers with colorful glass gems. The silver figure from Eastern Europe has wheels to help it move around the table as it goes from person to person.

Made from horn and inlaid in silver, this 5” device was used to hold a sprig of myrtle to supply the scent at Havdalah. Circa 1900.

Beautiful silver filigree work on this 5” sprig holder shows peacocks and their feathers.

G l a ss K i d d u s h C u p

Olive Wood Spice Holder

Windmill Spice Holder

The sunflower is a symbol of Ukraine. The 7”high silver spice holder was created in 1820 when Ukraine was part of Czarist Russia. National symbols are often used as the design source for spice holders.

Designed as a tourist souvenir from Palestine, this 6-1/2”-tall olive wood spice holder is decorated with beautiful silver work on the base and top. It is labeled in Hebrew and English “Jerusalem.”

It’s an easy guess as to where this 4”-high silver spice holder was created! It was made about 1900 in Holland.

Robyn Nichols Spice Holder

Oval Sp i c e Ho ld e r

Thistle Spice Holder

“Sweet Offerings” is the name Kansas City silversmith Robyn Nichols gave this spice holder.

Crafted of sterling silver, the 2-1/2” sphere was created in 2002.

Palm sized at 2” high, it is easy to pass this wooden egg-shaped spice holder during the Havdalah ceremony. It has hand carvings and scent holes throughout. Made in Palestine, it unscrews at the center to add spices.

The hallmark dates this 4” spice holder to the early 1800’s in Britain. The thistle is the national flower of Scotland so it can be assumed this spice holder was made for a Jewish family who took pride in their Scottish homeland.

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Spice “Towers” aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

Moses, Aaron, and Solomon Spice Holder A gothic tower standing 10-1/2” tall portrays Moses, Aaron, and King Solomon in cast figures decorating the sides. Made in 19th-century Poland.

Tower Form Spice Holder

Lemberg-style Spice Tower

Spices in medieval times were expensive and often kept in a vault located in a high tower. That experience made towers a natural model for spice holders like this one. Standing 11” tall, it is silver and crafted in late 18th-century Germany.

Often, local traditions produced a specific style of spice holder. This 12”-tall silver filigree spice holder from 1775 is typical of those produced in Lemberg in Ukraine.

Nuremberg-style Spice Holder Turrets and flags decorate this silver, 10” tower from Nuremberg, Germany, crafted in the 19th century.

Domed Tower Spice Holder

Spice Holder with Enamel Plaques Enamel plaques of Biblical scenes adorn this 13-1/2”-tall tower. Made in Germany in the second half of the 19th century and crafted from silver wire, encrusted with garnets.

Goth ic Spic e Holder Gothic architecture was certainly the design basis for this 14-1/2”-high silver spice tower. It is cast and engraved and was made in Munster, Germany in the late 18th century.

Most likely, the dome on this 10” spice tower reflects a local landmark where it was made circa 1850. It is not unusual to find local landmarks represented in spice tower designs.

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W at e r D i f f u s e r s aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

In some Sephardic communities, there is a tradition of sprinkling scented water instead of spices. While a Jewish community may have different customs for Havdalah, it is the underlying ritual and its meaning that knits far-flung groups into a single people.

Acorn Spice Holder Engraved in Hebrew “Spices,” the 6-1/2” long acorn from Germany is made from silver and dates from about 1850.

This brass eggplant that stands 7-1/2” tall from Turkey was designed about 1900 to sprinkle scented water during Havdalah.

In Egypt, where this silver diffuser was made, rose water was the traditional scent used for Havdalah. Standing 7-1/4” high, it was crafted in the first part of the 20th century.

Dutc h Spic e box An older Dutch silver box was adapted in the early 20th century to include this picturesque Havdalah scene of a Jewish man in traditional garb engaged in the Havdalah ritual. What a delight to open this 1-¾” box to discover the scene.

“Swinging” Spice Holder While “swinging” incense burners are common in non-Jewish religious ceremonies, it is unusual to see this type of device used for a Havdalah spice holder. The 5” silver container has floral ornaments and a chain.

Parakeet Spice Holder

Cello Spice Holder

A touch of playfulness is added to the Havdalah ritual with this parakeet spice holder, which stands 3” high and was crafted of silver in the 19th century.

This late 20th-century silver cello spice holder from Israel may have belonged to a musician.

Standing 8-11/16” tall, it has “Besamin” (spices) in Hebrew on the front.

Turkmen Spice Holder Topped with a Star of David, this 8-1/4” container is typical of the craftsmanship of early 20th-century Turkmenistan: silver corded with semi-precious stones and beautiful handwork.

These pieces were created for the large Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire.

Hana Gerber Spice Holder T u r k i s h S p i c e C o n ta i n e r

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Typical of mid-19th-century Turkish spice containers, this silver 6-1/2”-tall spice holder has two egg-shaped containers on a large leaf with claw feet.

A bird’s nest in a tree was sculpted by Hana Gerber, an American artist, in the late 20th century. The 5”-high bronze sculpture rests on a wood base crafted by Shirley Morantz.

The t e mple murals aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa

The Michael Ballantyne Prophets Murals

The stories of prophets are told in the B’nai Jehudah Hebrew Prophets mural. Each of the fifteen scenes illustrates a pivotal moment in the life of the subject(s) in the act of fulfilling God’s covenant, or encouraging the people of Israel to be mindful of God and Torah. There is no beginning nor end to the series, though the time of day in each scene progresses from early morning, midday, late afternoon and evening. The scenery represents the landscapes of Israel, from the mountains, the beach and desert, cities and ruins, woodlands and rocky foothills.

Th e Bar i Fr ei den Memory Mu rals

The Memory Murals were created to tell the story of the synagogue through the continuity of Jewish values from Biblical times to today. Each wall of three panels illustrates ways that the people of B’nai Jehudah have translated those values into actions. We hope the murals will inspire the viewer to determine how each of us will build a future to honor our past.

The Temple murals were created and painted by California artist F. Scott Hess in 2022.

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“ T h e S e v e n D ays o f C r e at i o n ” aAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa Lithograph by Heinz Seelig (1909–1992), one in a series of five, 1979.

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