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Handpainted linen Torah binder made for a German Jewish boy

Object

Torah wimpel created to celebrate the birth of Sally (Sol) Ossowski on January 1, 1919, by his father, Isaac Ossowski, in Berlin, Germany in the 1930s. The hand painted inscription and decorations proclaim his birth and tell his parents to raise him according to Jewish law. A binder is a textile band used like a belt to hold closed the two staves of the Torah scroll when it is not in use. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Circular silver 12 tone pocket watch style pitch pipe and case used by a cantor

Object

Tuning device used to set a musical pitch used by Isaac Ossowski, who, as a hazan [cantor], would lead the congregation in musical prayers. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], as well as hazan, at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Der Baalschem von Michelstadt : Kulturgeschichte. Erzahlung [Book]

Object

Cultural history book from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. It is a narrative of the culture, history, and traditions of the Hasidic movement. The greeting card probably was received by Sol Oster for his ninth birthday in 1925. It offers blessings for Yom Kippur, best wishes for the New Year, and birthday congratulations. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor/musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. He needed an acceptance letter to get a student visa for England and when it arrived in June 1937, he left for London. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Napkin ring with a silver initial S used for Passover seder by a Jewish refugee

Object

Napkin ring used to mark the place at Pesach seder for Sol Oster (Ossowski) who left Germany and then Lithuania to escape the increasingly violent anti-Semitism of those countries during the 1930s. Sol’s father, Rabbi Isaac Ossowski, was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were placed upon Jews. The family was targeted repeatedly by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons.) Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh (Panevezys), Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. He needed an acceptance letter to get a student visa for England and when it arrived in June 1937, he left for London. After completing his studies in 1939, he joined his parents in the United States, where they had emigrated a year earlier.

Prayer book

Object

Siddur with special prayers for Shavout and Hashanoh Rabah from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. It is a narrative of the culture, history, and traditions of the Hasidic movement. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Prayer book

Object

Prayer book from the library of Sol Oster. The book was given to him as a present by his maternal great-uncle, Shalom Dantziger who had used the book for years himself. Dantziger was a mohel in Berlin, Germany, in the early 20th century. In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany and by the summer, the Nazi dictatorship was firmly established. Increasingly severe sanctions were placed upon Jews. Sol’s father, Isaac, was a prominent member of a major synagogue in Berlin and the family was targeted repeatedly by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons.) Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh,( Panevezys)Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. Friends from the yeshiva and a local farmer provided him food and a place to stay. In June 1937, he received his acceptance letter which he needed to get a student visa for England. After completing his studies in London in 1939, he joined his family in the United States, where they had emigrated between 1936 and 1938.

Book

Object

Shulchan Aruch, an authoritative source of Jewish law, from the library of Sol Oster, who as a young man, left Germany and then Lithuania to escape the increasingly violent anti-Semitism of those countries in the late 1930s. The book was given to him as a present by his maternal great-uncle, Shalom Dantziger who had used the book for years himself. Dantziger was a mohel in Berlin, Germany, in the early 20th century. The postcard was written in 1919 Berlin to Yehiel (or Yisrael) Rubenstein. The style, with the frequent use of God Willing and similar language, suggests that the writer was a very pious person. Sol’s father, Rabbi Isaac Ossowski, was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were placed upon Jews. The family was targeted repeatedly by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons.) Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh (Panevezys), Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. He needed an acceptance letter to get a student visa for England and when it arrived in June 1937, he left for London. After completing his studies in 1939, he joined his parents in the United States, where they had emigrated a year earlier.

Prayer book

Object

Pentateuch in Russian from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. It is a narrative of the culture, history, and traditions of the Hasidic movement. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Prayer book

Object

Comprehensive prayer book for daily and holiday prayers from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Prayer book

Object

Prayer book for the last 2 days of Passover from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. It is a narrative of the culture, history, and traditions of the Hasidic movement. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Prayer book

Object

Siddur concerned with the laws of Passover, one volume from a set of 60 titles, from the library of Sol Oster. The book was given to him as a present by his maternal great-uncle, Shalom Danziger who had used the book for years himself. Danziger was a mohel in Berlin, Germany, in the early 20th century. Shalom Dantziger was Sol Oster's great uncle and gave him the Siddur. In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany and by the summer, the Nazi dictatorship was firmly established. Increasingly severe sanctions were placed upon Jews. Sol’s father, Isaac, was a prominent member of a major synagogue in Berlin and the family was targeted repeatedly by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons.) Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh ( Panevezys), Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. Friends from the yeshiva and a local farmer provided him food and a place to stay. In June 1937, he received his acceptance letter which he needed to get a student visa for England. After completing his studies in London in 1939, he joined his family in the United States, where they had emigrated between 1936 and 1938.

Book

Object

Book codifying Jewish law from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany.

Booklet

Object

Book and other items found inside the book from the library of Isaac Ossowski that were also used by his son, Sol Oster: a book, Universal-Agende für jüdische Kultursbeamte : Handbuch für den Gebrauch in Synagoge, Schule und Haus [Universal liturgy for Jewish cultural officials: Handbook for use in the Synagogue, School, and House]; a pamphlet with 2 articles on Jewish ceremonial law and custom from the series: Writings of the Association for the Preservation of traditional Judaism, and 4 US Army Signal Corps photographs of concentration camp victims. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Book codifying Jewish law concerned with "Life Ways," and the Passover liturgy, and also a loose page from another work found inside the book, from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany.

Pair of tefillin with blue velvet bag used by a Jewish refugee

Object

Tefillin and bag used by Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Tefillin are 2 small black leather boxes containing Torah verses that are worn on the arm and head by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Prayer book

Object

Sider Theilas Jsrael (sic) , a miniature prayer book from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Guidebook of Jewish laws in Russian for the raising of children from the library of Sol Oster. It had been used by his mother, Frida Schwartzbard Ossowski, and her family during her childhood.

Book

Object

Shulchan Aruch, a book that codifies Jewish law, from the library of Sol Oster. It had been used by his mother, Frida Schwartzbard Ossowski, and her family during her childhood.

Prayer book

Object

Prayer book for Tisha B'Av, a day of communal mourning, from the library of Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. The prayers in the book commemorate the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem. An additional section includes pre-lamentory prayers. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and Hazan [cantor, a musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Portable marble Hanukkah menorah with 4 sections made for a rabbi

Object

Traveling Hanukkah lamp used by Rabbi Isaac Ossowski. The lamp was made by a stone mason in Berlin, Germany, in the 1920s. It was meant to have an original design unlike a traditional lamp and created for use as a mobile lamp. A Hanukkah lamp holds eight candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah; the ninth candle is the shamash [attendant] that is used to light the other candles. Because of their religious significance, the Hanukkah lights cannot be used in everyday ways, such as providing light. Traditionally, menorah refers only to the original seven branched lamp that stayed lit in the Temple; the nine branched lamp is a hanukiyah or Hanukkah lamp. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Book of Esther scroll or Megillat Esther handwritten by an unknown sofer for Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer, and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Book of Esther scroll or Megillat Esther handwritten by an unknown sofer for Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer, and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Book of Esther scroll or Megillat Esther, perhaps made for a child, handwritten by an unknown sofer for Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer, and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Mezuzah in a copper metal case used by a Jewish refugee family

Object

Mezuzah and case that belonged to Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany, who emigrated in 1938 to avoid the increasing persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. According to the Torah, every doorpost in a Jewish home should display a mezuzah, a small parchment scroll inscribed with two chapters from Deuteronomy, including the Shema, a central prayer of Judaism and the source of this law. The scroll is enclosed in a case so that it can be affixed to the right doorpost. It serves as a reminder of the covenant of faith and a notice that this is an observant Jewish home. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practitioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [canter or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. Isaac was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, he sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sally (Sol), to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Circumcision knife with inscription and agate handle with wooden case used by a mohel

Object

Ritual circumcision or milah knife set used by Isaac Ossowski, a highly respected mohel who left Berlin because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. A mohel is a person qualified to perform the Jewish ceremony of brit (bris) milah, the ritual circumcision of a male, Jewish child. This requires both extensive religious training and surgical skill. A milah knife is sharp on both edges to avoid hesitation during use that might cause unnecessary pain to the child. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Pair of Sabbath candlesticks with wax reservoirs owned by a Jewish refugee

Object

Pair of Shabbat candleholders that belonged to Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin who left Germany because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the Nazi government. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Pocket knife with leather case carried by a Jewish refugee

Object

Folding knife and case that belonged to Isaac Ossowski, a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin who left Germany because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the Nazi government. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Circumcision knife with a glass and metal handle with a black wooden case used by a mohel

Object

Ritual circumcision [milah] knife and case used by Isaac Ossowski, a highly respected mohel who left Berlin because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. A mohel is a person qualified to perform the brit (bris) milah, the ritual circumcision of a male, Jewish child. The training includes both the medical procedures and extensive knowledge of Jewish laws and traditions. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Brass Hanukkah menorah with fish shaped feet used by a Jewish refugee family

Object

Hanukiyah used by Isaac Ossowski and his family, made by Joseph Romiger, Stuttgart, Germany. The family would be forced to leave Berlin in 1938 because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. Each child in the Ossowski family had their own hanukkah lamp. A Hanukkah candelabrum holds eight candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah; the ninth candle is the shamash [attendant] that is used to light the other candles. Because of their religious significance, the Hanukkah lights cannot be used in everyday ways, such as providing light. Traditionally, menorah refers only to the original seven branched lamp that stayed lit in the Temple; the nine branched candelabrum is a hanukiyah or Hanukkah lamp. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Ritual slaughter knife with a wooden case used by a shochet

Object

Shechita [ritual slaughter] knife and case used by Isaac Ossowski, the head shochet for the Alte Shule in Berlin who left the country because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. A shochet is specially trained in the laws and procedures of shehitah, the Jewish religious and humane method of slaughtering animals and poultry. It requires years of study in the laws of shechita, as well as animal anatomy and pathology. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Electric Ner tamid [Eternal light] with a table mount issued by Yad Vashem

Object

Eternal light lamp issued by Yad Vashem and acquired by Sol Oster around the time the Hall of Remembrance, the first commemorative site at Yad Vashem, was built in 1961. Sol lived in Berlin, Germany, with his family during the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship following the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor in 1933. Sol’s father, Isaac Ossowski, was a prominent member of the Jewish community and the family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh ( Panevezys), Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, he applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. In June 1937, he received his acceptance letter which he needed to get a student visa for England. After completing his studies in London in 1939, he joined his family in the United States, where they had emigrated between 1936 and 1938.

Calligraphy of a graveside Kaddish created by a sofer [scribe]

Object

Calligraphy with the text of a graveside prayer created by Isaac Ossowski, which was originally framed and displayed in his home. A Kaddish prayer comes in many forms, but all praise God and sanctify his name. This is a more expressive version of the Kaddish than that which is commonly used today. Mourners would stand near the grave and face Jerusalem while reciting the graveside or burial Kaddish. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor, musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Mizrach, a sign designating the direction of Jerusalem, with a personal inscription created by a sofer

Object

Mizrach poster created by Isaac Ossowski in honor of his wife, Frida's, birthday. A mizrach [mizrachl means east] is a decorative item placed in a traditional Jewish home to indicate the east, the direction of Jerusalem and the direction to face for prayers. This work was originally framed and hung on the east wall of their home. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Calligraphy of Sukkot prayers and a personal inscription created by a sofer

Object

Welcome prayers for the festival of Sukkot (Succoth), or Feast of Tabernacles, with an inscription in honor of the birth of his son, Shalom, hand painted by Rabbi Isaac Ossowski in the fall of 1933. It was originally framed for display in their home. During the seven nights of the festival, which is similar to a harvest festival, celebrants are to build and have their meals in a succah or temporary hut built in remembrance of the forty years the Jewish people lived in the desert before reaching the Promised Land. The poster includes all the basic prayers for use inside the sukkah: the prayer for entering, a special prayer for the Sabbath in the sukkah, a prayer inviting the 7 Ushpizin, the main guests at dinner each night of Sukkot: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David, and a prayer recited upon exiting the sukkah. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Ritual circumcision set with 2 knives, a case, 2 shields, a suction tube, and scissors used by a mohel

Object

Brit milah set with 7 items: 2 mila knives, 2 guides (Mogen or shields), a glass suction tube, scissors, and case used by Isaac Ossowski, a highly respected mohel who left Berlin because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. A mohel is a person qualified to perform the brit (bris) milah, the ritual circumcision of a male, Jewish child. The training includes both the medical procedures and extensive knowledge of Jewish laws and traditions. Rabbi Ossowski was head shochet [ritual slaughterer], mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan [cantor or musical prayer leader] at the Alte Shul [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Ritual slaughter instrument set: 3 knives, 3 cases, 2 whetstones, a bag, a band, and 4 cloths used by a shochet

Object

Set of 14 instruments used for shehitah [ritual slaughter]by Isaac Ossowski, the head shochet for the Alte Shule in Berlin who left Germany with his family in 1938 because of the targeted persecution of Jews by the government of Nazi Germany. This set includes 3 knives of different sizes with wooden cases, 2 whetstones to sharpen the knives, and one bag and 4 cloths used to wipe and cover the instruments. A shochet performs shehitah, the Jewish religious and humane method of slaughtering animals and poultry. It requires years of training in the laws and procedures of shehitah, as well as the knowledge of animal anatomy and pathology. Rabbi Ossowski was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin. He was a mohel [practioner of ritual circumcision], sofer [scribe], and hazan[cantor, musical prayer leader], as well as shochet for the Alte Shule [Old Synagogue]. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were enacted against Jews. The Ossowski family was repeatedly questioned by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons) who gathered intelligence on opponents of the Nazi state and policed racial purity. In 1934, Isaac sent his youngest son, 14 year old Sol, to Lithuania to study at a yeshiva. In 1936, his sons, Joseph and Leo, left for the United States. In 1938, Isaac and his wife, Frida, and their daughter, Nettie, escaped Nazi Germany and joined Joseph in the US. Sol joined them there in 1939.

Book

Object

Book of Esther scroll or Megillat Esther with case from the library of Sol Oster. The printed scroll was given to him in 1936 when he was seventeen years old. Sol left Germany and then Lithuania to escape the increasingly violent anti-Semitism that was developing in those countries in the 1930s. Sol’s father, Rabbi Isaac Ossowski, was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Berlin, Germany. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, increasingly severe sanctions were placed upon Jews. The family was targeted repeatedly by the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons.) Fourteen year old Sol told his father that he wanted to leave Germany to attend a seminary and, in 1934, he was sent to a yeshiva in Ponevezh (Panevezys), Lithuania. In December 1936, Sol received a notice to register with the German embassy. Afraid that his passport would be confiscated, Sol applied to a seminary in London and went into hiding. He needed an acceptance letter to get a student visa for England and when it arrived in June 1937, he left for London. After completing his studies in 1939, he joined his parents in the United States, where they had emigrated a year earlier.

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