Kiddush cup retrieved from Auschwitz
InventarnummerM2003/022
TitelKiddush cup retrieved from Auschwitz
BeschreibungSilver Kiddush cup with engraved floral design; intertwined initials "M" and "W" and a date: 1934 II 4 (4 February 1934?). "Silver" mark is found below the rolled rim.
It was given to the donor, Magda Spira, by an uncle, Emmanuel, whose brother had retrieved it from the crematorium in Auschwitz. It is possible, however, that the object was stolen from 'Kanada'.
Magda Spira was born in 1924 in Kosice (Slovakia, Czechoslovakia). She survived the Kosice ghetto, Auschwitz II-Birkenau (Poland: Death Camp), Riga-Kaiserwald (Latvia: Concentration Camp), Stutthoff (Danzig (FC): Concentration Camp), Magdeburg-Polte (Germany: Concentration Camp) and the Forced (death) marches. She was liberated in Germany by Soviet armed forces.
Kiddush (Hebrew for ‘sanctification’) is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Many families have a special goblet or glass for the blessing, this vessel is called the Kiddush cup. Traditionally, a Kiddush cup will be crafted out of gold or silver, however they can also be crafted from pewter, fine china, or pottery. They are often ornately decorated with fruit - grapes to symbolise the wine. A Kiddush cup can come in a variety of forms and sizes. It is just as common to have a stem on a Kiddush cup as it is to have a stem-less Kiddush cup. The crucial thing for a Kiddush cup is its size; it must hold a revi’it of liquid. A revi’it is approximately between 90.7 millilitres and 161.5 millilitres.
It was given to the donor, Magda Spira, by an uncle, Emmanuel, whose brother had retrieved it from the crematorium in Auschwitz. It is possible, however, that the object was stolen from 'Kanada'.
Magda Spira was born in 1924 in Kosice (Slovakia, Czechoslovakia). She survived the Kosice ghetto, Auschwitz II-Birkenau (Poland: Death Camp), Riga-Kaiserwald (Latvia: Concentration Camp), Stutthoff (Danzig (FC): Concentration Camp), Magdeburg-Polte (Germany: Concentration Camp) and the Forced (death) marches. She was liberated in Germany by Soviet armed forces.
Kiddush (Hebrew for ‘sanctification’) is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Many families have a special goblet or glass for the blessing, this vessel is called the Kiddush cup. Traditionally, a Kiddush cup will be crafted out of gold or silver, however they can also be crafted from pewter, fine china, or pottery. They are often ornately decorated with fruit - grapes to symbolise the wine. A Kiddush cup can come in a variety of forms and sizes. It is just as common to have a stem on a Kiddush cup as it is to have a stem-less Kiddush cup. The crucial thing for a Kiddush cup is its size; it must hold a revi’it of liquid. A revi’it is approximately between 90.7 millilitres and 161.5 millilitres.
EntstehungsortGermany
Schlagwortworld that was, concentration camps, Judaica, spiritual resistance
ObjektbezeichnungKiddush cup
Materialsilver
Format
- height: 85.00 mm
top diameter: 70.00 mm
base diameter: 45.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Magda Spira