Torah scroll pointer ("Yad"), made by the goldsmith Anders Isleben. [Vimmerby], Sweden, [1799], dedication dated 5559 [1799].
Cast, sawed and engraved silver; parcel-gilt. Marked.
Closed hand, with an outstretched index finger and a cuff. Handle, half of which has four facets; the other half is made of four shafts decorated with small silver dots, bearing sharpened platelets and holding a gilt ball (movable). At the end of the hand is a flattened ball and a small crown-shaped decoration. Engraved on one of the facets is the dedication: "Leib son of Moshe Lam", and on another facet – a verse from the Book of Exodus (13:9), enciphering the Jewish year 5559, corresponding to 1799.
The name of Rabbi Leib Lamm from Stockholm appears at the end of the book "Chevel Lehachiot" ["A Rope to Recover"], printed in Altona in 1803, in a list of prenumeranten. A Torah shield with a dedication by Aaron son of Leib Lamm (also from the collection of the Nottingham Jewish community) was sold at Sotheby's, auction N08814 (December 14, 2011), item no. 32. At the end of the pointer is a loop and chain.
This is one of the earliest known Jewish ceremonial objects from Sweden. There is little existing evidence regarding Jewish presence in Sweden until the 18th century (according to population records, in 1787 no more than 150 Jews lived in Sweden, and in 1807 – 631 Jews only). In 1779, under the reign of Gustav III, Jews were granted the right to settle in Stockholm, Göteborg and Norrköping, under certain restrictions. In 1782, Jews were granted the right to settle in Sweden without converting to Christianity, and at the same year Jews were granted the privilege to build a synagogue and to pray in public.
See previous item.
Length: 29.5 cm. Good condition.
Provenance: donated to the Nottingham community in 1913 by Gustave Meyer, in memory of his father David Meyer, president of the Jewish community at Nottingham in the years 1869-1881.