Jewish Holidays in LBI Collections
Tapestry depicting the Seder table, with a quote by Rabbi Gamliel about fulfilling the religious duty of mentioning three things, “Passover; Maror; and Matzah”, in: Offenbacher Haggadah, 1927, page 56. LBI call number: r (q) BM 675 P4 O_42 1927.
Passover is a weeklong Jewish holiday beginning at springtime’s first full moon. It celebrates the biblical Exodus of the enslaved Jewish people from ancient Egypt, and it is primarily observed by avoiding all leavened food. On the eve of the first day, Jewish families hold a festive dinner, called the Seder, and they read from an ancient text of biblical stories, comments, and prayers, called Haggadah.
Bertalan Göndör: "And Moses Went Down": linocut, ink on tissue paper; 13.5 x 11 in. A colossal Moses, holding the tablets of the law, is stepping down from the mountain across a modern city with factories and skyscrapers. Vienna, 1937. LBI call number: 78.663.
Shavuot is a Jewish holiday seven weeks after Passover, commemorating Moses’ receiving of the Torah and originating in the ancient Festival of the Grain Harvest at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Bernard Picart: New Year's Sounding of the Horn. Men in the synagogue around a man blowing a horn. Engraving by Bernard Picart in: "Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde", Amsterdam, 1723-1743. LBI call number: 78.65e.
Rosh Ha-Shanah is the Jewish New Year and the first of the High Holidays. It is celebrated by blowing the Shofar at the “Birthday of the World”, when the names of those who will live through the coming year are inscribed in the Book of Life.
Hermann Junker: Kol Nidrei service of German-Jewish soldiers on the eve of Yom Kippur near the town of Metz, during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Partial view of a black-and-white postcard; 9 x 14 cm. LBI call number: F 21773.
Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the Hebrew calendar, when the Book of Life with the names of those who will live through the coming year is sealed. The primary observance of the day is fasting. - Prior to the evening service on the night of Yom Kippur, congregations chant a traditional prayer, known as Kol Nidrei (‘All Vows’).
Bernard Picart: Sukkot, Procession of the Palms.
From the book "Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde”, Amsterdam, 1723-1743. LBI call number: 78.65g.
Sukkot is a week-long holiday that begins on the date of the full moon at the beginning of autumn. The primary observance of Sukkot is taking one’s meals in a Sukkah – a hut covered with leaves - for seven days and holding up the Lulav – a palm leaf, and the Etrog – a citrus fruit each day.
Hanukkiah: A nine-branch Hanukkiah from the 19th century with scroll-like, moveable arms. At the top in the center are two lions flanking the crowned Tablets of the Law. LBI call number: 2017.02
Hannukah is a post-biblical holiday in remembrance of a successful revolt against religious suppression in the land of Israel. It is celebrated around the onset of winter by lighting candles every evening for eight days to bring light into the darkness.
Megillat Ester (Scroll of Esther): Partial view of a 141 cm. long parchment scroll, bearing the traditional Hebrew text from the biblical Book of Esther, framed by artistic color renderings of the story’s protagonists; locations; and events, written by an unknown scribe around the year 1750 in the Bavarian town of Fürth. LBI call number: AR 994 A.
Purim is the joyous celebration of events in ancient Persia, when Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai prevented the murderous plans of the evil chancellor Haman aimed against the Jews. The holiday is celebrated at the full moon close to the time of carnival, and Jewish kids, disguised in costumes, go trick-or-treating around their neighborhoods.
As life transformed over the centuries, the annual rhythms of the Jewish holidays remained a constant. The collections of Leo Baeck Institute reflect both the constancy of tradition and the changing and diverse patterns of observance among different communities at different times. Click on the items below to explore highlights of our collections related to various holidays.
