32

This Chanukah lamp is one of the most recent additions to the museum's collection, and was purchased through the Gertsman and Wechsler Fund. The lamp's backplate is decorated with the image of Judith with the head of Holofernes. The story of Judith and Holofernes is recorded in the apocryphal book of Judith. Judith was a beautiful widow who single-handedly saved the Jewish town of Bethulia during the time of the Hasmonean Revolt - the same revolt that was led by Judah in the second century B.C.E. and that is celebrated by the holiday of Chanukah. Judith approached the enemy camp and met with the general, Holofernes, who invited her into his tent for an evening banquet. Once Holofernes fell into a drunken sleep, Judith used his sword to cut off his head. Judith returned to Bethulia victorious, where the head of Holofernes was mounted on the town's ramparts. Since medieval times, the book of Judith has been associated with the festival of Chanukah, and depictions of the story are sometimes found on Chanukah lamps, although such a lamp is quite a rare find today.

33

Each of these exceptional objects is a tribute to Samuel Wechsler's dedication to the Aron Museum and to the devotion that he fostered in his children. Furthermore, in their aesthetic appearance, they reflect his eye for the unique and his passion for collecting Judaica.