The object I have chosen is a traditional cup for the sanctification of wine used in Jewish ceremonies, also known as a Kiddush cup. This cup was gifted to my grandparents for their wedding in 1954 by the Rabbi of the Satmar Hassidic sect, Yoel Teitlebaum, and symbolizes my grandparents' arrival to America. My grandfather emigrated from Jaroslaw, Poland, to the United States in 1952, and my grandmother emigrated from Budapest, Hungary to Israel and then to the United States in 1952. Their marriage in 1954 symbolized their building a new life and a new family together in a new country. At the time, the Satmar Rabbi was one of the main leaders of American Jewry and led a huge sect of Hasidim from Hungary to America. The gifting of this cup to my grandparents symbolized their acceptance into the new American Jewish community. The religious significance of this cup also represents the perpetuation of their Jewish and Hasidic culture, which was integral to their lives in their old countries. This object provides meaning to me and my family because it symbolizes the start of our families’ Jewish American journey, and members of my family still use it today. 

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant