Obj. ID: 54457  Shiviti Adonai le-Negdi Tamid, Baghdad, 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 which 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.

Printed amulets from Iraq are not common. However several of those that are in the Gross Family Collection share some common characteristics. In the center of this page, printed on colored paper, is a large Hebrew letter, "Heh". Within the space formed by the three lines of the letter is depicted a realistic open hand, representing the hamsa. The letter "Heh" is considered to be one of the names of God. It is also the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and so represents the number 5 as the numeric value of the letter, hinting at the five fingers of the hamsa. Hence the letter "Heh" in and of itself has amuletic significance and confers the strength of a general protection amulet. There is another large "heh" amulet on gray paper in the collection, as well as a small version.

But the most interesting aspect of this printed page is that it is clearly associated with the holiday of Rosh Hashanah and was meant to be hung on the wall at the start of the holiday. Printed here are the blessings for the special foods eaten, according to several traditions, at the start of the Holiday. Here there are blessings before and after the ceremony. There is a very special Iraqi printed page just for that ceremony in the Gross Family Collection.

The Jewish community of Iraq numbered some 150,000 in 1948, almost all of whom immigrated to Israel in the several years following.