Objects

A contemporary Hanukkah lamp (Hanukiah) manufactured by the Israeli company Dayagi Brothers. Its shape resembles an oil lamp. The lamp shaft, with four grooves, is mounted on a teardrop-shaped base. Four lines extend from the base in an arc towards the outside, tapering towards the top; nine new lines, lead out of those, support the top of the lamp with candle holders.

Donated by Wisna Lipszyc, painter and writer.

A relatively large number of Hanukkah lamps have been preserved in museum collections. Objects related to religion performed a ritual (not devotional) function for the Jews. Their presence in a Jewish home was necessary for the fulfillment of religious regulations. (https://sztetl.org.pl/en/glossary/halacha, accessed 26 October 2020). They defined the home as a Jewish space.

Nowadays, they are often a reference to the Jewish family tradition rather than a ritual object. Israeli companies produce Judaica for their own market, the world's diaspora, but also for the tourist movement. Dayagi's Hanukiah, produced in the first twenty years of the existence of the State of Israel (established in 1948), represents contemporary, mass production with a commemorative value within the museum's collection. It is also an interesting example of the products of Israeli metalworking companies, such as Ascalon, Oppenheim or precisely Dayagi. Their works combine the influences of post-war European design with motifs characteristic of Israel. It is probably the European origin of the Israeli artists that had an effect on such a combination. The Ascalon company which has shaped the style of Israeli applied art, was founded by Moshe Klein from Hungary. It is also from Hungary that the Dayagi brothers came to Israel. Their label operated in Israel from the 1940s, changing its name from Dayagi to Hen Holon in the 1970s.

Besides this item, Wisna Lipszyc also donated another Hanukkiah by Dayagi (MPOLIN-M71) to the museum.

Maciej Wzorek