Ceremonial Objects

This a woven cream colored bimah cover with gold threads as part of the weave. Embroidered letters in English on the front. There are two snaps in the middle of the cover. Strips of embroidery form a Star of David in the center of the cover. A bimah (among Ashkenazim) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve the place where the person reading aloud from the Torah stands during the Torah reading service.

Blue velvet brocade Bimah curtain and valance for the Ark. Embroidered in gold threads and sequins on the curtain is a crown, two lions, Hebrew letters standing for ''the crown of the Torah,'' and the Ten Commandments in Hebrew between the lions. A Star of David and a vine with flowers are also embroidered on the curtain. Embroidered on the valance are two Star of Davids and a vase with wheat. Both the curtain and the valance have gold colored trim and fringe.

Red Bimah curtain and valance for the Ark Embroidered in gold threads and sequins on the curtain is a crown, two lions, Hebrew letters standing for ''the crown of the Torah,'' and the Ten Commandments in Hebrew between the lions. Both the curtain and the valance have gold colored trim and fringe.

A skullcap (kipah in Hebrew, yarmulke in Yiddish) consisting of six sections of triangle shaped black taffeta sewn together and finished at the edges with black bias tape. Originally belonged to Max Rosenthal.

A blue velvet tefillin (pylacteries) bag. This view shows the front side with a wheat colored Star of David stitched with simple running stitches. A drawstring runs through the mouth of the bag, consisting of brown cotton and blue wool interwoven strings. Originally belonged to Ira M. Beck.

6 material culture objects--3 tefillin for the hand, 1 by-law, 1 framed drawing of Congregration Shearith Israel, 1 bound ledger of cash records

3 pairs of tefillin used in synagogue; torah cover used in synagogue

(3) bound ledgers: B'nai B'rith Women's league (1917); Cash Receipts (1938-1940); Cash Book (1928-1930); (1) Joseph Solomon- Scholarship Medal BMH Religious School (1911) in red box; (1) Evelyn Bricker - Scholarship Medal BMH Religious School; (1) Michael Fox Medal- BMH Religious School.

Mezuzot (Two Mazuzahs) circa 2000.