The Jewish Museum of Ferrara - Room I

The Jewish museum of Ferrara is at present housed in four rooms on the top floor of the building where the synagogues are found.

In the first room there are objects on display dating from different ages, which are ordered according to the various celebrations in Jewish religious life: of particular interest is the richly ornate embossed silver plate which is used for the ceremony of Pidịn ( the deliverance of the first born child ), the setting where circumcision is performed and the objects and clothes for the new born child relating to this ceremony.

In a special display-case one of the special seals which the Ferrarese Jews used to mark burials is on show. These seals were used to avoid the bodies being snatched ( and presumably taken to the University's anatomy theatre).

On the right hand side a small synagogue with antique furniture has been reconstructed. Among the pieces is a 15th century bench and a multi-coloured carved Aṛn from the community in Cento which no longer exists.

 

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