Being Jewish

Being Jewish is housed in a chest of drawers. Look inside to explore an often unfamiliar world of Jewish identity: its origins, languages, rituals, memories, and the ways in which all of these enriched societies in Europe and beyond for thousands of years.

A core Jewish symbol is the Star of David,  named after the  biblical King David of Israel. The Star references the historical origins of the Jewish people. But it has also become a part of everyday Jewish life, like in this child's drawing, with the dedication: "All from love."

For thousands of years, Jewish people were demonised by some of their Christian neighbours, and violent attacks (pogroms) occurred in most centuries. This German beer mug was used in the 1880s. Its racist depictions of hooked-nosed, thieving Jews resemble later Nazi propaganda.

In spite of such abuses, Jewish people held on to the Star of David as a core symbol of Judaism  —  as in this homemade version, knitted by a child Holocaust survivor who found shelter in Scotland.

Before 1933, most Jewish people in Germany felt fully integrated as German citizens of Jewish faith. So much so, that Margarete Treharne brought this little bear, the mascot of her hometown Berlin, to England even when she had to flee Nazi persecution .

Many Jewish people felt fiercely loyal to their European homelands. In the First World War, in Germany, proportionately more Jews were decorated for bravery than other German soldiers.

In Britain, too, Jewish people see themselves as both British and Jewish. Some Jewish football fans show both their team loyalty and their Jewish identity by wearing kippot (skullcaps) decorated with British football club logos.

Religion is inseparable from Jewish heritage. This German-Hebrew prayer book narrates the Exodus from Egypt.  Under Nazi persecution, this story of the liberation of an enslaved people provided hope, and many felt it had a new topicality.

Language holds deep religious and cultural meaning for Jewish people. After surviving the Terezin camp-ghetto, Zdenka Husserl, now a young refugee in England, embroidered this Challah cover with the Shabbat blessing in Hebrew, the language of the Torah: a way to reconnect with her Jewish heritage.

Another part of Jewish culture born out of religious obligation is charity. This tzedakah (charity) box, in the shape of an idealised German house, was used in pre-war Germany to collect donations. Today, charity remains central to Jewish culture.

Like charity, a strong emphasis on family life grew out of religious obligation, but has become part of Jewish everyday culture. Shabbat, the Day of Rest, begins with the lighting of two Shabbat candles as the family gathers for the Friday night dinner.

The Holocaust wiped out entire families and communities. In his series of paintings entitled "The Family I never knew", Ardyn  Halter reflects on the lasting trauma this caused to Jewish people.