The Treasures Since it re-dedication in 1999 Etz Hayyim has been the recipient of many quite important gifts in the form of liturgical artefacts and textiles. Certainly the most important are the Siphrei Torah. The first was a gift of the director and originated in Cairo from the David ibn Zimrah Synagogue and is beautifully written on gazelle skin and is in its original 'tik' and bears a silver dedication. The second Sepher Torah is an Eastern European one and was given to the synagogue by the Westiminster Scrolls Memorial Trust in London. This Sepher was found after the IInd WW in an abandoned synagogue near Prague along with over 1700 others. After many years of negotiation all of these were sent to London where they are still in the process of being repaired and then given to needy synagogues. Our Sepher was acquired through the assistance of Mrs Ruth Shaffer the Director.

Kiddush Cup: The gift of Mr and Dr. Peter and Doris Naylor. This silver cup is of simple and elegant proportions and is English in origin and dates from the mid-19th cent.. It has the emblem of the Synagogue inscribed on it.

Textiles: We have several parohets now. One was embroidered by a local craftsperson and is used for Holidays. On white silk it has a central menorah and around it roses, birds (cocks and peacocks) and the traditional Hebrew inscription -'Know before Whom you stand.'

For the teva we have several Ottoman textiles either in Kemha weave or embroidered on Bursa silk.

For normal use on the Ehal there is a parohet with the Shema embroidered on green silk by Ida Mordoh of Athens. A third parohet is an anonymous gift and was originally an Ottoman prayer carpet.

We have a complete set of textiles for Pesah - some specially embroidered here in Crete and others of Southeast Asian origin.

Recently we were given a velvet with gold embroidery talleth bag from Ioannina. This dates from the late 19th cent and was the traditional gift that a bride gave to her husband on the morning of their marriage. This was the gift of Mrs Aliki Beraha of Athens.

There is also a complete set of 95 patchwork and embroidered cushions for the benches. Of Indian origin they are strangely appropriate for the interior of the Synagogue. These were the gift of Matilda Beraha and Minos Moisis of Athens.

Please note that more gifts and pictures will be announced shortly in this section.

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