Hanukkah lamp

Silver hanukkah lamp: London hallmark for 1747-8, mark of the initials JLA framed in rich embossed and chased foliage against a background of scaled ornament, cast scrolls and shell border into the top of which is set the shammash (servitor lamp). At the bottom is a tray of eight lamps, above a trough fitted to a drain, to which a bowl is hooked. The bowl is round with swelling sides and swivel handle.

Given by Miss Gladys Abecassis

This lamp was made for Solomon de Aaron Abecassis, who came to Britain from Gibraltar in the early 18th century. The initials in the backplate are those of the donor's grandparents, Jules and Lavina Abecassis, who lived during the middle of the 19th century.

Jewish Worship
Judaism is the oldest religion in the world to worship the one God.World Jewry has three main groups: Sephardic, Askenazic and Mizrahi (the Jews who never left the Middle East). All are bound together by a common history and their adherence to the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and the Talmud (a compendium of rabbinic law and lore).

Jewish religious traditions and rituals centre on the home, the community and the synagogue. Central to Judaism is the observance of the Sabbath. This is a holy day, set apart from the rest of the working week. It begins one hour before sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday evening when three stars can be seen in the night sky.

The Jewish year revolves around a number of festivals, such as Passover. These originated in ancient times and embody multiple layers of meaning, from agricultural festivals to historical events.

Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights. It celebrates the victory of Judas Maccabeus over the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. This winter festival lasts eight days and an extra flame is lit for each night of the festival.

M.75&A-1949