Wimpel (belt) for a Torah scroll made from a baby’s diaper from his circumcision, according to the custom of German Jewry. Germany, 1765.
Specifications: Linen, embroidery in colored threads with the baby’s name, pictures of deer, a Torah scroll and a marriage canopy. Decorated with pleasant calligraphic lettering in a range of shades: “Binyamin Zvi son of Rabbi Dov, born on 26 Av [August 1765], may he grow to Torah, marriage and good deeds Amen Selah.” Length: 375 cm. Width: 17 cm.
Unique Features: The wimpel before us appears to be one of the earliest surviving wimpels. The Israel Museum’s wimpel collection consists of over 40 wimpels, but only three of them were made before this one.
Background: According to the custom, on the child’s first visit to the synagogue at the age of one or three, a short ceremony is held in which the diaper is given to the synagogue as a gift. When the child celebrates his Bar Mitzva at the age of 13, he is called to read from the Torah scroll tied with his diaper. The custom was first mentioned in the book Mingahei Maharil in 1545 and was prevalent in Germany, in the areas of Bohemia and Moravia, Switzerland and Denmark until the 19th century.
Condition: Moderate-fine, minimal stains and tears, a new linen lining was sewn onto the rear side to protect and strengthen the original cloth.