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The celebration of time: festivals and traditions

Let us pause here to learn more about the liturgical cycle of the Jewish people. The community celebrates and recalls its historical and religious memory through various festivities scattered throughout the year. In this section visitors may view and discover articles and objects that are still used today during the festivities and celebrations of the Jewish calendar.

Outstanding items

Seal for marking bread at Passover

Gilded metal, 14th century, Catalonia (copy of the original in the Museum of l'Espluga de Francolí). Bears an inscription in Hebrew meaning Enjoy your meal. The Matzot were unleavened bread eaten during the Feast of Passover (Pesach). To be considered suitable for consumption by the Jewish community, they had to be marked with special seals like this one.

Pesach Plate

Decorated ceramic, 14th century, Catalonia (copy of the original in the Israel Museum). Decorated ceramic, 14th century, Catalonia (copy of the original in the Israel Museum). During the Passover meal (Seder Pesach) ritual foodstuffs were eaten which were placed in a precise order on special plates like this one.

Hanukiah

Metal candelabrum, 19th century, Morocco (collection of Uriel Macías). These eight-stemmed candelabra were used during Hannukah, the Festival of Lights, which takes place during the month of Kislev (December). A candle was lit on one stem per night, until the end of the week-long celebrations.

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