Obj. ID: 55497
Jewish printed books  Lichvod ha-Torah, Turin, 1774

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Italian Jewry had a particular fondness both for the composition of Hebrew poems and the writing or printing of such texts in honor of or commemoration of many different events in Jewish life. The result is a large number of single manuscript or printed pages, often with decorative elements as well as text. This extensive use of the Hebrew language in such creative ways is a marked characteristic of Italian Jewry between the 16th and 19th centuries.

This particular example of the genre is a poem for the dedication of two Torah scrolls for the synagogue of Vercelli by the officers of the "Chevrat Mikra" (Bible Society) in Vercelli, Shimshon Polisi, and David Levi on Hoshanah Rabbah, 5535 (September 26, 1774). The writing and dedication of a new Torah scroll for a synagogue was considered one of the greatest honors in Jewish life. Its consecration was an occasion for great celebration and ceremony. There are decorative elements at the top and in the frame around the text.

Donor:                              Donated by Shimshon Polisi

Donor:                              Donated by David Levi