Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Tombstone of Esther de la Pena Gabay Henriques
Born in Córdoba, Spain, Esther Gabay Henriques married Daniel de la Penha, a Spanish merchant in Rotterdam. The family coat of arms appears above the epitaph. Beneath is a low relief of the couple’s…
Tombstone of Abraham Cohen Pimentel
This tombstone is inscribed in memory of Abraham Cohen Pimentel, who served as rabbi of the Portuguese Synagogue (Esnoga) in Amsterdam, and also as hakham in the Hamburg synagogue. A student of Saul…
Tombstone Inscriptions (Jamaica)
Gravestone of honorable old lady Sra Rachel, wife of the wealthy citizen the honorable R. Jacob Fernandes Gill, deceased, seventh day of Passover, 22 Nisan 5486May her soul be…
Torah Mantle (Venice)
This Torah mantle, from about 1655, is embroidered with silk and gilt-silver thread and is richly decorated with curling, interlocking patterns. The crown dates from the middle of the nineteenth…
Torah Mantles (Netherlands)
These Torah mantles, thought to be created in the Netherlands, are embroidered and have fringed borders. The mantle on the right is sumptuously adorned with brightly colored flowers, along with panels…
Torah Mantle (Vienna)
This Torah mantle was made in Vienna in the eighteenth century. It is embroidered with silk and metallic thread, metallic ribbon, and has metallic fringes. Set against a red background, this mantle’s…
Siddur (Parma)
Illustrated title page from a manuscript siddur from Italy according to the Romaniote (Greek) rite, with prayers focused on marriage and birth rituals and customs, as well as the pidyon ha-ben…
Siddur (Vienna)
Hebrew manuscript illustration underwent a revival in eighteenth-century Germany and Central Europe. As wealthy Jews began to commission such manuscripts, a school of scribes and artists emerged. This…
Esther Scroll (Venice)
The book of Esther (also known as the Scroll [megillah] of Esther) is read out loud on the holiday of Purim. This example of a scroll from Venice has Hebrew text framed by arcades and borders…
Esther Scroll (Amsterdam)
The book of Esther is chanted aloud from a scroll (megillah) on the holiday of Purim. This example from the Netherlands is lavishly decorated, with the Hebrew text framed by arcades between which are…
Esther Scroll (Baghdad)
The scroll (megillah) of Esther is read out loud on the holiday of Purim. This example, from Baghdad, is hand painted, with an ornate design in which bands of flowers frame the text. It is rolled on a…
Esther Scroll (Amsterdam)
The Book of Esther (also known as the Scroll [megillah] of Esther) is read out loud on the holiday of Purim. This example of an illustrated scroll from the Netherlands (shown here with a page of…