In Jewish religious law, there are laws of kashrut (Hebrew: kashruth – fit for consumption) that determine the types of products permissible for consumption. The rules outlined in the Torah are still meticulously observed in Orthodox Jewish communities, while modern streams of Judaism have significantly relaxed their approach to food purity. The supervision of kashrut compliance remains the task of rabbis who oversee food production.
Certain products cannot be manufactured or prepared by non-Jews, such as wine which undergoes special ritual treatments. Vodka, on the other hand, is regarded as a ritually neutral product (Hebrew: pareve). An exception is Passover vodka, i.e. vodka prepared for the Passover holiday, which must not be made from grain.
One of the first artifacts acquired by the District Museum in Leszno for its Judaica collection was a decanter for Passover vodka. The item is made of thick glass and decorated with a cut floral pattern featuring roses and rocaille motifs. The decanter has a repoussé, openwork setting adorned with figures dressed in Oriental attire and standing by a rose bush. The scene is repeated on the two-zone setting of the neck of the bottle. The closure of the bottle is topped with a fully malleable figurine of a man holding two geese. The decanter was used for storing hard, dry vodka, most commonly made from plums, in accordance with ritual prescriptions, and consumed during Pesach.
The silver setting of the decanter was created in the Lazarus Posen Wittwe workshop in Frankfurt on the Main. The company was founded in 1869 by the widow of a goldsmith, Brendana Posen, née Wetzlar. From 1880 she managed it jointly with her son Jacob . In 1903, the company received a royal patent, producing the finest silverware in the country. From the 1920s , the business was run by Jacob, Hermann, and Moritz Posen, the grandchildren. The operation continued until 1938 (https://e-antyki.com/katalog-antykow/1147-patera-srebro-800-lazarus-posen-1870-90.html; accessed on 5 February 2020).
The item was offered for purchase by one of the antique shops in Poznań in 1993. It was acquired by the Fermentation Industry Enterprise "Akwawit" and donated to the collection of the Leszno museum.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
