Obj. ID: 36863 Shadai'a, Ioannina, 1848
sub-set tree:
*Synagogue Objects | Dedicatory plaque (a plaque with a dedicatory inscription, attached to any object, but not hanging on a wall) | *Dedicatory plaque also called: | Shadai'a (Dedicatory plaque)
The following description was prepared by William Gross: In a custom unique to the Romaniote Jews and in particular, to the community in Ioannina, Parochet plaques of silver were prepared and dedicated for various reasons to be hung around the doors of the Aron Kodesh on a band of textile material. The earliest plaques are known from the 17th century and such plaques are still being made in Romainote communities. Seen in the context of the Greek Orthodox culture in which the Romaniote communities reside, the custom appears to be a reflection of the votive plaques prepared and dedicated to the local churches. Certain silversmiths in each generation prepared plaques, and within particular periods the plaques resemble one another closely. Almost all of them begin with the words, "Al Shadai" and therefore are called "Shaddaya" or "Shaddayot" in the plural.
This example was dedicated along with a Parochet by Esther Halevi in honor of her husband Matitya Yisrael Halevi who received an honor in the new synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur in 1848.