Obj. ID: 41462  Torah pointer, Slovakia, ca. 1900

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

In many synagogues in Europe, where the congregations were of poorer people, the ritual objects, insofar as they had them, were of simple materials: wood, brass, tin, etc. in the areas of the Czech lands, Slovakia and Galicia wooden yads were often found, probably carved by the congregant who donated them or by another member. This example, probably from Slovakia, with its loose ball in a cage frame was also designed to demonstrate the skill of the carver. The pointing hand itself is quite large, out of proportion to what is usually found on torah pointers and the name of the donor, Ezra Fleischmann, is also carved into the wood just above the hand.

Inscription: THE EMINENT (ABBREVIATION) EZRA FLEISCHMANN