The life of a Jew is marked by some
all-important events: the circumcision,
coming of age — the
bar
or
bat-mitzvah
—,
marriage and departure from this world.
The covenant God made with the Jewish
people through Abraham is renewed
through the circumcision ceremony,
or
brit milah
.
Birth has special, all important value for
Judaism, so much so that the Torah defines
it as a blessing. To protect the newborn
infant and as a sign of good luck, it became
common practice to craft silver amulets,
at times in filigree, bearing the inscription
Shaddai
(Almighty); on the inside these
amulets held a small parchment scroll
bearing the
Shema Yisrael
(Hear, O Israel),
the centerpiece of Judaism, the true and
proper affirmation of faith.
The most sacred private rite for all Jews is
the ceremony to welcome in the
Shabbat
.
The woman of the house kindles the lights
to receive the “Queen
Shabbat
”. In the
Middle Ages, special lamps were designed
for this purpose. In Italy these were
generally oil lamps hung from the ceiling
on long chains; often they were fashioned
in the shape of a star because the
Shabbat
starts Friday evening, when the first star
appears in the sky.
Shabbat
is celebrated by reciting the
Kiddush
, a blessing over the wine
pronounced before meals.
Cycle of life and Shabbat
Pidion ha-ben plate
, XVIII century,
Piedmont, embossed silver, diameter
46 cm, property of Tina Ottolenghi
Kiddush cup
, XVIII century,
Piedmont, embossed, engraved
silver with floral decorations and
plant motif, height 48.5 cm
26
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