Pair of small tefillin brought to the United States by Nisson Bespaloff or a family member

Identifier
irn740050
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2017.694.5 a-b
Dates
1 Jan 1901 - 31 Dec 1946
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • Hebrew
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

a: Height: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Width: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm) | Depth: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)

b: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm) | Depth: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)

Archival History

The tefillin set was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Musem in 2017.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

Scope and Content

A pair of batim from a set of tefillin owned by Nisson Bespaloff or another man in his extended family. The batim were brought to the United States when the owner immigrated in the 1930s or 1940s. Tefillin are small boxes containing prayers attached to leather straps and worn on the arm and the head by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Black-painted, head tefillin with a square, leather box (batim) constructed of 4 sections with an embossed Hebrew letter Shin on the left and right sides. The box is centered on a layered leather platform sewn together with gut from kosher animals (giddin). The platform has a triangular, notched back with an opening through which a knotted leather strap (retzu’ot), now missing, would be threaded. The box interior should be divided into 4 sections and hold 4 parchment scrolls (parshiyot) inscribed with Hebrew prayers. Some paint has worn off the edges of the batim, which is beginning to split in half. Black-painted hand tefillin with a square, leather box (batim) with smooth sides. The box is centered on a square, layered leather platform sewn together with gut from kosher animals (giddin). The platform has a triangular, notched back with an opening through which a leather strap (retzu’ot), now missing, would be threaded. The box should hold a parchment scroll (parshiyot) inscribed with 4 Hebrew prayers.

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.