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Eschenheimer Spice Tower (Silver) 19th century
Date not available
Frankfurt, Germany

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This spice container was crafted from silver in Frankfurt, Germany in the nineteenth century. A tower was a popular shape among Europeans for the container that holds the spices for the Havdalah ceremony. Yet, this container is unique as it is a replica of the Eschenheimer Tower of Frankfurt, which was originally built as part of the city's medieval fortifications. The spice box therefore demonstrates the local patriotism of Frankfurt's Jewish community and reveals the influence of regional art and architecture on the forms of Jewish ritual objects.

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Spice Tower (Silver) 19th century
Date not available
Poland

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A second spice container in the collection acts as an interesting point of comparison. The container again takes the form of a tower. Yet the medieval structure of the Eschenheimer Tower, with its angular turrets and crenellation, is replaced by a bulbous form that recalls the bell towers of Bohemian Baroque churches. Not surprisingly, this spice tower was created in close proximity to the geographic area of such architecture.

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Spice Container (Silver) 20th century
Date not available
Portugal

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Yet another spice container varies in shape entirely. Originating in Portugal in the twentieth century, this silver spice container takes the form of a pear and is decorated with flowers. This change in shape can be attributed to a difference in regional customs. In certain parts of the Near East, actual fruits are used for smelling during the Havdalah ceremony in place of spices. It is, therefore, likely that such flower and fruit shapes developed when Jewish people migrated west and could no longer find their own traditional fruits.

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Spice Container (Olive Wood) 19th century
Date not available
Far East

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A spice container that comes from the Far East differs from these other containers most obviously in its material. It is made of olive wood, rather than the traditional silver that is commonly used in the West. Here, the shape and design is abstract and decorative, although we can be sure that it too was influenced by regional tastes in design.

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Although these four spice containers vary enormously in their shape and design, you will notice that they all share the same function and basic requirements. The spice container is used during the Havdalah ceremony, which is performed every week at the end of the holiday of Shabbat. The pleasant aroma of the spices is intended as consolation for the departure of Shabbat and the return to daily life. Whether a spice container takes the form of a tower or a pear, whether it is made of silver or wood, this function remains the same. Each of the spice containers can be opened so that they may be filled regularly with fresh spices. In keeping with their decorative motif, the towers each have doors that are opened in order to place the spices inside. The pear-form container and the olive wood container both have tops that can be removed.

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Each spice box also has holes through which the aroma can escape. These holes are often incorporated into the design. The smell of the spices drifts out through the windows of the Eschenheimer spice tower. The door to the Bohemian-style spice tower must be opened in order to smell its spices. The pear-form spice container is punctured with small holes that surround the floral embossments. The decoration of the olive wood spice box is created by the openings in the wood, which also allow for the container to perform its purpose during the Havdalah ceremony.

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Through these four spice containers, we can see that although our ceremonial objects have taken different shapes as Jewish rituals have been performed through time and around the world, the essence of those rituals has remained the same, attesting to the strength and vitality of the Jewish religion.

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Temple Emanu El Beth Sholom
2005
4100 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec

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The diversity and continuity that is apparent in the collection of the Aron Museum reflects the community to which it belongs, that of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom.

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Just as the ceremonial objects in the collection have found a new home at the Aron Museum, Jews from all over the world have found a new spiritual home at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom. The families that make up the Temple's community share Jewish roots and represent the continuity of the religion. At the same time, the Temple's members and their forebears come from all over the world, representing the diversity of Jewish culture.