Img. ID: 25016

Zelke (known as Simon; 1776 - 1845) who renovated the shield and re-donated it to the synagogue was born in Toschco, a town in Bohemia, under Austrian rule. As customary at the time, he was named Toschco, after his place of origin. Toschco was a wool merchant dealing with the wool industry in Bohemia and Austria. During the war against Napoleon Bonaparte (December 1805), he assisted the Austrian Royal Treasury and contributed money to fund the war. In gratitude for his act, he was honored by the Emperor and was awarded the title of nobility: Edler von Lämel (in German), and which permitted him to possess a family coat of arms, as stated in the dedicatory inscription. The title Lämel refers to his father's name, who probably was also dealing with wool. In 1856, Eliza Hertz, the daughter of the Edler von Lämel contributed money to build a school in Jerusalem, to educate Jewish orphans according to a new German innovative schooling system. She named the school Lämel, after her father's name. Ludwig August Frankal-Hochwart, was appointed, on behalf of Eliza, to supervise the curriculum and to direct the school, when time comes. Like her father, Frankal was also honoured by the Emperor, Franz the 1st and was awarded a knighthood title of Ritter von Frankal, for the publication of a patriotic book of poems: "The Poem of the Hubsburg Family." The building was designed by the German Architect Theodor Sandler. He was probably acquainted with the clock which adorns the Alt-neu synagogue in Prague, and he decorated the school façade with a similar clock, with Hebrew letters, instead of ciphers. The school was the first to teach different subjects in Hebrew and was considered by the Ashkenazi highly orthodox community in Jerusalem as a school of the Enlightenment movement. Thus, they opposed any of its activities and acted against it. However, the school gained the support of the Sephardi community in Jerusalem and till the 1880's, Ladino (Judeo Spanish) was considered its first language. During the British Mandate, the school became a public school and today it is a Talmud Torah, used by the Orthodox Jewish population.

According to the Museum card, the shield was in use in the Maisels synagogue in Prague. It reached the Jewish Museum of Prague during WWII and was recorded then by Dr. K. and Dr. E.