Torah Shield

In its present state, this shield consists of the original plaque with its curved pedimental headpiece, and a later section appended to the base.

This shield was the second known donation by Yosef ben Yo'el Kahana, "gabbai (beadle)" of the Eternal Light Society, in 1805. The first was a Torah pointer bearing a similar inscription specifying that the donor came from Danzig. The phrasings of both inscriptions together with the secondary 1828/29 dedication by Itzig Goldstein, prominent member of the Danzig Mattenbuden community, indicate that both the shield and the pointer were originally made for a synagogue in the area near the city and later came to Danzig. The wars of 1807 and 1812 caused much destruction in surrounding communities and led many Jews to seek a haven in Danzig. From the evidence of the inscription and the fact that the pointer bears Danzig hallmarks, we may suppose that the Torah shield was also made there.