Obj. ID: 1363
Sacred and Ritual Torah mantle, Greece, 1939
The trapezoid Torah mantle comprises a cloak attached to a round top, with a vertical back opening.
It is decorated on its central front with two vertical strips, which divide the front into three units. A crown topped by a Star of David is set on the centre, and surmounts a Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) dedicatory inscription embroidered in square, filled letters, which reads:
"הקדש / די לוס איזוס פור/ סוס דיפונטו/ פאדרי/ יצחק אהרון/ אלגאבה נ"ע (נוחו עדן)/ 12 תמוז 5699/ תנצבה."
Translation: Dedicated by the sons for the (memory of the soul of) their dead father Isaac Aaron Elgabah, may he rest in heaven. (Died) on the 12 of Tamuz, 5699 (29.6.1939), May his soul be bound in the bond of life.
The round top has two openings for the Torah staves. A fringed strip surrounds the top and bottom edges of the cloak.
sub-set tree: 
Cloth: silk dark red velvet
Lining: cotton ribbed tabby
Inscription: chain stitch embroidery
Additions: fringed strip, paillettes
Width: 390 mm
Diameter: 250 mm
A collection of ritual objects was confiscated from the Greek Jews when they were transported toAuschwitzduring World War II. This Torah mantle was transferred to the Jewish Historical Institute (JHI) in 1948 from Narożno, a city inSilesiawhere the Nazis stored the objects.
Online collection of the ritual objects from the E. Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute is available here: http://cbj.jhi.pl/collections/964689