Obj. ID: 54004
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Mazal Tov le-Zachar, New York City, NY, circa 1930

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 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 amulet is a part of a large group of printed birth amulets, usually for male and female children. They are of the simplest form with only the most basic amuletic formulas and are generally very small as well. The basic elements are Psalm 121, the naming of the patriarchs and matriarchs and a few "names", all of which are invoked for protection against Lilith. They appear in this form in many different countries in Europe, North America, North Africa and the Middle East. This particular example for a male child was printed in New York, but is virtually identical t several printed in parts of Europe. It was printed on the lower East Side of that city, the melting pot of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. The model for this printing is from Lithuania (see, for example, 20589).