Objects

Hanukkah is the eight-day Festival of Lights, commemorating the victory of Judah Maccabee's insurgents over the Syrian army in 165 BCE. After the Jerusalem Temple had been cleansed of pagan worship and the altar had been rededicated, only one vessel containing the ritual oil used to light the tabernacle was found. Thanks to the miracle of the cruse of oil, as tradition tells, the oil lasted for eight days, until a new batch could be produced. During Hanukkah, one more candle is lit each day in an eight-branched candelabrum called a hanukkiah, which is placed in the windows or in front of the doors of Jewish homes. The candles are lit by the eldest male in the family. During the holiday, one should not work or even study Torah. Fasting is also forbidden (A. Unterman, Żydzi. Wiara i życie, Lodz 1989, pp. 223-225).

Hanukkah lamp from the collection of the Museum in Łowicz

Nine-branched candelabrum lit during the hoiday of Hanukkah. It is cast in brass. It has a circular base supported by three lion's paws and is topped with a six-pointed star. It has a straight stem from which four curved branches extend on each side, ending in candle sleeves. In the centre below the Star of David, there is an additional shorter branch for an additional candle, from which the other candles are lit (known as the "shammash" in Hebrew, meaning "servant"). . The item is not marked.