The Goldsmith Museum of Chizuk Amuno Congregation is a place of discovery and inspiration. The museum strives to perpetuate Judaism through the medium of the visual arts, to advance Jewish education, and to preserve the history of one of America’s oldest synagogues. Through museum exhibits and programming, the Goldsmith Museum aims to reinforce the timeless Jewish ideals of learning, worship, and acts of loving kindness in both the Jewish community and the wider world.

Why a museum in a synagogue?

A synagogue is a place to worship, and a museum is a place to learn. When placed together, we show that both our prayers and our learning are important, and that both are part of who we are as Jews.

Jewish life is full of celebration, and the objects in The Goldsmith Museum delight us with their beauty, as well as help us to appreciate the various facets of Jewish life, including worship.

When you visit The Goldsmith Museum, look for the objects illustrated on this site. You will see objects that are familiar to you and objects that you have never seen before. You will see some objects that are used in the synagogue, and others that are similar to things you have in your own home. Our hope is that your visit to the museum will add to our knowledge of Judaism and inspire you to appreciate the precious nature of that heritage.

Online Gallery

Here is a sampling of artifacts from the Goldsmith collection. We hope you will visit to see all that the museum has to offer.

Bridal Head Covering Tunis or Morocco, late 19th-early 20th century ACC 396

Bridal Head Covering
Tunis or Morocco, late 19th-early 20th century

ACC 396; Given in honor of the 50th wedding anniversary of Howard "Chuck" and Marian Helzner Klein and commemorated by the worldwide reunion of the Klein-Snyder-Helzner-Goldberg families, October 27, 1996

This orange and green-striped, silver-flecked linen and silk head covering is typical of North African bridal fashion in the Jewish communities of Tunis and Morocco. The heavy fabric is laden with silver-faceted amulet cases, known as gulas, coins, and silver cutouts of flowers and insects set with red glass. To each side is a large, silver pendent hung with charms and set with amber, lapis lazuli, and carnelians. The headdress is in excellent condition, and is a valuable part of the museum's textile collection.

The Moroccan style provides a very obvious contrast to the traditional European type of bridal headdress. The cap is colorful, as opposed to white, and thick and heavy rather than lightweight and gossamer. Another obvious difference is the addition of good luck charms. The amulets act as safeguards for the couple, and the coins, in addition to representing perfection and wholeness by their round shape, are also meant to bring fortune to the couple.

Hanukkiyah, brass. Holland, early 19th century. ACC 152 Gift of Irene and Meyer Mazer in honor of Meyer's 75th birthday

Hanukkiyah, brass. Holland, early 19th century.
ACC 152
Gift of Irene and Meyer Mazer in honor of Meyer's 75th birthday

The spare and simple beauty that is found in Dutch Judaica is represented in the Goldsmith Museum by a small, polished brass Hanukkah lamp. The arched sheet brass backplate is embossed with circular forms and punch marks that contrast with the plain surface. In the center of the backplate are a cutout Star of David and the word "Hanukkah" in Hebrew. The oil pans at the bottom are of a heavier gauge brass, as is typical of this period.

This Dutch hanukkiyah is lit by oil and wick, as was true for Hanukkah lamps from all parts of the world until the nineteenth century. In Biblical times, only oil lamps and torches were used for lighting and for religious celebrations. Even after the introduction of paraffin, Jews still preferred to use oil for Hanukkah because of the association with the cruse of oil used in the ancient Temple. In the last century, however, candles have gradually assumed greater importance, and have even superseded oil lamps in popularity.

Kiddush Cup, Bohemia, c. 1860-1870. ACC 98 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Keiser in memory of Mrs. Samuel (Etta) Keiser

This beautiful glass kiddush cup with handle is hand-painted with a red medallion in the form of a pomegranate, and is enhanced by painted red and gold details. The surface is etched with a floral design and the cup is inscribed with the blessing over wine- "…boreh p'rei hagafen."

The cup is an example of Bohemian glass of the mid to late nineteenth century. Bohemian glass is characteristically pigmented and etched with a variety of designs, including landscapes and synagogue interiors. The more elaborate of the Bohemian cups are illustrated with scenes found in contemporary paintings and prints.

Although the painted and etched designs are eye-catching, the most important part of the cup decoration is the blessing. When you visit the museum and view this object, imagine it filled with red wine. The color of the wine would have provided a contrasting backdrop for the words painted in white, which could then be easily read.

Matzah Cover United States, c. 1900 ACC 1999.8.1

Matzah Cover
United States, c. 1900
ACC 1999.8.1
Gift of the friends of Phyllis Brill and Aaron Snyder in honor of their wedding, August, 1987.

The seder table is traditionally set with special items, including intricately decorated seder plates, Elijah's cups, and matzah covers. The Goldsmith Museum matzah cover is one such object. It made of satin and embroidered with a wreath of flowers in pastel colors. The wreath is closed with a crown set with red glass beads. Loosely woven white lace borders the entire design.

Decorative needlework, such as we see here, has long been a favorite artistic medium for Jewish women. Other Goldsmith Museum artifacts that have been enhanced with needlework include an American-made hallah cover, and an array of European tallit and tefillin bags. Stitched with great attention to detail, these are examples of the tradition of hiddur mitzvah, or beautifying a mitzvah, that is so much a part of our holiday celebrations.

On European and American needlework, it was common for the stitcher to sign her work by placing her initials on the face of the object. In the case of our matzah cover, the artist's initials, 'E.R.,' appear on the reverse, while the inscription on the front reads 'Hashana haba b'Yerushalayim' - Next Year in Jerusalem, and the date, 5661.

Engraving, Bar Mitzvah Scene. Europe: after Oppenheim, late 19th-early 20th century. ACC 1999.15.1

In the print after the nineteenth-century German-Jewish artist Moritz Daniel Oppenheim (1800-1882), a bar mitzvah boy is delivering a d'var Torah to the assembled group of family and friends. At center stage with his parents, the young man speaks words of Torah to his small audience. The room is nicely, if not extravagantly, furnished, and several women prepare the table for the festive meal that will follow the boy's speech.

The most frequent subject in Oppenheim's paintings and prints was everyday life in the German-Jewish households of his time. His paintings of the celebration of Jewish holidays and of Jewish weddings, as well as scenes of moments of domestic solitude, were very popular with the public. Because of this popularity, Oppenheim published as series of engravings based on his paintings. The Goldsmith Museum's bar mitzvah scene is one print in this series.

Moritz Daniel Oppenheim was the first Jewish artist to make a livelihood as a painter. He had many commissions, including those for portraits of the Rothschild family of Frankfurt. Apparently, Oppenheim made a substantial living as a painter, as revealed in his well-known quote, "I am the painter of the Rothschilds, and the Rothschild of painters."

Megillah case and scroll. Central Europe, probably Vienna, mid-19th century ACC 193 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Kolker on their 50th wedding anniversary, March 22, 1964

Megillah case and scroll.
Central Europe, probably Vienna,
mid-19th century
ACC 193
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Kolker on their 50th wedding anniversary, March 22, 1964

The Megillat Esther is a fine example of the traditional combination of two objects: the scroll, which represents Jewish love of the written word, and the intricate, ornamental case. The silver case has been restored and polished to emphasize the handiwork of the metal. From the top of the crown finial to the tip of the handle, the case is covered with a complicated design of vines and foliage surrounding a motif of a lion attacking a gazelle.

Hidden within the case is the parchment, on which is written the megillah. The Esther scroll provides one of the few opportunities for a sacred Jewish text to be illustrated on the parchment. Our scroll begins with an illumination of Ahasuerus presenting the royal crown to Esther: "The king loved Esther more then all the other women…so he set a royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti."(2:17) Although depicted in a simple style, the artist succeeded in presenting a pivotal moment in the Esther story, and in moving the viewer's eye across the illumination to the first words of the text.