Obj. ID: 20546
Sacred and Ritual Objects Dedicatory wall plaque, Preveza, 1926
The rectangular tablet is inscribed with a Hebrew text, surmounted by a Star of David enclosing God's name "שדי" ("Almighty"). The Star of David is flanked by the name "אליהו הנביא" (the prophet Elijah). Below it are the words "ז''ל" for "זכור לטוב" (of blessed memory) on the right and "זיעא" for
"זכותו יגן עלינו אמן" (may his virtues protect us, amen) on the left.
The inscription is written in square, linear letters and is arranged in 12 lines that read:
“אני היחיד של ק''ק (קהל קדוש) פריביזא יע''א (יכוננה עליון אמן)
אליהו דניאל קולייה הי''ו (ה' יחיהו וישמרהו) נותן
היום לגבאי הקומוניטה הזאת
שלושה אלפים דראחמים לחדש
הבנין של ק''ק (קהל קדוש) בתנאי שאחר
פטרתי חייבים לעשות גבאי הקו–
מוניטא הלימוד למנוחת נפשי
בתוך בית הכנסת תפלה למשה
בכל שנה ושנה. יהי רצון
שתחדש הבנין הזה במהרה
בימינו אמן. נצח סלה ועד
בולו היום י'ג לח' (לחודש) סיון ש' (שנת) התרפ''ו."
"I, the individual from the Holy Congregation of Preveza, may the Sublime establishes it build, amen. Elijah Daniel Kol'iah, may the Lord sustain and protect him donates today to the gabbai (synagogue official) of this Community three thousand drachmas for the renovation of the building of the Holy Congregation. On condition that after my death, the gabbai of this Community will study each year for the exaltation of my soul in the Tefillah Le-Moshe synagogue. May it be His will that the building will be renovated soon in our days, amen, Volos, today the 13th of the month of Sivan, the year 5686 (26.05.1926)."
The inscription is enclosed within a rectangular linear frame with curved corners.
sub-set tree:
The tablet was dedicated in Volos where the donor probably lived. According to other dedications, it appears that Kol'iah originated in Preveza and donated the money to his hometown synagogue (see: Torah finials dedicated in 1911 to the same synagogue, Sc.525-41). The synagogue in Preveza -Tefillah Le-Moshe - was demolished during WWII. However, evidence of this community survived in various sacred objects, as for example
- the silver dedicatory plaque (shadai'a), from 1934 (JMG-81, 98.49),
- the dedicatory wall plaque from 1932 dedicated by Jacob Mazah (JMG-78),
- the dedicatory wall plaque from the beginning of the 20th century dedicated by Rabbi Yeshu'a Solomon Jacob (JMG-79).
Amar, Ariella, and Irina Chernetsky. The Collection of the Jewish Museum of Greece. Jerusalem: The Center for Jewish Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2007. Internal publication