Torah Binder (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- The artist, Reuben Eschwege, was born in Germany in 1890. He was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp in 1938.
- Eschwege escaped from Germany with his family. He later moved to New York City, where he began creating wimpels (Torah binders) like this one.
- This wimpel, or Torah binder, is made from a long piece of linen.
- German Jews used a piece of linen fabric to swaddle baby boys at their brit milah, or bris (Jewish circumcision ritual). When the boy became bar mitzvah, the same piece of fabric would be used to bind the Torah scroll of the temple he attended.
- Dozens of small, colorful scenes are depicted on this Torah binder. The scenes celebrate both Jewish and American life and depict the parents’ hopes for their infant son.
Learn More
Reuben Eschwege was born in Thüngen, Germany, in 1890. He was a teacher, cantor, and secretary. On November 9, 1938, the Sturmabteilung and Hitler Youth looted and destroyed around 7,500 Jewish businesses, stores, homes, and temples across Germany. During the riots of Kristallnacht, 30,000 Jewish men were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. Eschwege was one of them. He was able to escape from Germany with his family. He arrived first in London but ended up living in New York City.
Eschwege continued his work as a cantor in New York and took on an additional profession as a mohel. A mohel is a Jewish man who is trained to perform ritual male circumcision. Eschwege also began creating wimpels. A wimpel, also called a Torah binder, is a long linen sash. It is made from the cloth used to swaddle a baby boy at his brit milah (bris), or Jewish circumcision ritual. When the boy became bar mitzvah at the age of 13, this same piece of linen would be used to bind the Torah scroll of the temple he attended.
The inscription on this object is in Hebrew. Like many wimpels, it includes the name of the child as well as his birthday. The English translation of this text is “Menachem son of Shlomo known as Michael Abraham Scharff may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, born with good fortune on Monday the 5th of Tammuz 5707 [June 23, 1947] . . . May the Lord raise him to [be privileged with] Torah, the wedding canopy, and good deeds, Amen.”
The small paintings that decorate this work depict the desires the parents had for their son. These painted scenes also offer a glimpse into the experiences of American Jews. The objects depicted on this Torah binder include a baseball, an American flag, a Shabbat table, and a Torah scroll. Other elements include a wedding chuppah and sukkah, scenes of medical profession, a turntable radio, a guitar, and the flag of Israel. One of the scenes depicts a young man looking up at a signpost that is pointing in two different directions. One points to “derekh eretz” and the other points to “torah.” The young man must decide between following “the way of the world” or the Jewish law.
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- View a virtual exhibition on Kristallnacht.
- Watch a video about the historical significance of wimpels.
- Read an article about the revival of creating Torah binders.
Resources for Students
- Read the artist’s entry in the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database.
- Watch a video of a rabbi examining a Torah binder from 1786.
Images
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Torah Binder
A painted linen scroll with Hebrew lettering across the center. Throughout the scroll there are detailed scenes depicting everyday events in American and Jewish life. The scroll’s borders are decorated with designs of plants with red berries.