Glossary

The entries selection comes from the book “Dictionary of Judaica” (2005), which was written by a group of authors led by Eva Kosáková . Entries were further processed by Jaroslav Kuntoš, Dana Veselská, Olga Sixtová, Michaela Scheibová and Lenka Uličná. The book can be purchased at our e-shop.

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Torah mantle (Heb. meil)

A simple textile cover to protect the Torah scroll* from damage. Its size should approximate that of the inserted scroll. In the Ashkenazi area, the mantle comprises two strong rectangular fabrics (such as velvet or plush) which are sewn together at the but are edge and to about the middle of the lateral sides. The seam of the mantle has two round openings at the upper edge to allow it to pass over the wooden staves. Covered with the mantle, the Torah scroll is placed in the Holy Ark* in which it is brought to and from the lectern for reading. In terms of the motifs and designs used, the ornamentation of mantles resembles that of synagogue curtains*. On older objects, both sides are usually decorated in the same way; from the 19th century onwards, however, the ornamentation was simplified and limited to the front side of the mantle. Sephardic mantles much more closely resemble actual mantles and are usually sewn on to an oval crown with openings and a slit in the front or along the sides and are often richly decorated.

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