Obj. ID: 53972
  Sacred and Ritual  Shmirah le-Yeled ule-Yoledet, Jerusalem, circa 1895

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

From earliest times, man has tried to protect himself from misfortune by the use of objects that he considered holy or otherwise (e.g., magically) potent. Amulets and talismans are Items generally worn around the neck or wrist, carried in a pocket or purse, or hung on a wall. They are meant to protect or aid those who carried or wore them. The Hebrew word for the amulet, kame‘a, has the root meaning "to bind". Jewish amulets are usually comprised of texts (either letters or graphic symbols) that are inscribed on some sort of material; some may also contain plant matter or precious stones. The texts of amulets usually include holy names that are believed to have the ability to affect reality, along with incantations summoning angels or other magical powers. For the most part, an amulet has a specific purpose: to ease childbirth, facilitate recovery from illness, improve one’s livelihood, and so on, but in the modern world many are also made for general protection.

This printed page is a version of what became the standard form of birth amulet in Jerusalem. Part of the imagery presents a protective angel with texts that was the defining image of a great many amulets printed in Jerusalem. The image originated in Eastern Europe but was copied in the Holy Land and became exceedingly popular as an amuletic device on publications in Jerusalem. The second part of the imagery is a hand, represented by the traditional form of the "wisdom of the hand", a form of Kabbalistic hand that may hint at the protective hamsa as well. This version of the amulet contains the Shir LeMa'alot, a "Lachash" against the evil eye by the Chida, and the story of Eliyahu meeting Lilith. A number of versions of this amulet were printed by Shmuel Zuckerman. This one is in gold ink on shiny colored paper. Three different versions are in the Gross Family Collection.

Shmuel ben Ya’akov Halevy Zuckerman was born in Mesiritch in 1856. As a six-year-old child, he made Aliyah with his parents. He learned the printing trade while working for Yisrael Bak, after whose death he continued in the printing house of Bak’s son Nisan. He soon went to London, however, and worked in printing there before returning to Eretz Israel to work in the shop of Ag”n. By 1885 he was a partner in that enterprise and from 1886 became the sole owner, publishing books under his name, and becoming one of the foremost printers in Jerusalem. The press operated in the Old City of Jerusalem until Zuckerman moved it to the new city in 1926. Up to 1890, almost 80 books were printed from his press in addition to many single sheets. More than 150 items from the Zuckerman printing house exist in the Gross Family Collection. There are several examples of this design in the collection.

Printer:           Shmuel  ben Ya'akov Halevi Zuckerman