This postcard, published in Vienna in 1914, shows an old man with his hands on the heads of two young children, probably his grandchildren. A tallit (prayer shawl) is draped on the man’s chair. The man is wearing a white kippa, slippers, and a white robe, presumably a kittel (burial shroud) – all traditionally dress for Yom Kippur. One of the boys has payot, the traditional sidelocks of orthodox men and boys. The woman on the right, possibly the children’s mother, is holding a book, maybe a prayer book, and observing the scene. The table behind the children is laid with a white tablecloth and has two candles in candlesticks and another taller one to their left. On the doorpost on the right of the picture is a mezuzah. Underneath the picture there is a verse from Bereshit (Genesis) 48:16: המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע יברך את הנערים (May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless these youths). At the very bottom of the photograph are two captions in German: one entitled, “The Grandfather’s Blessing” and the other with the name of the artist, Wilhelm Wachtel.
This scene appears to be from the eve of Yom Kippur, since many of the Yom Kippur traditions are portrayed. It is traditional to bless children with verses from the Torah on the eve of the fast. It is also customary in some Jewish communities to wear a kittel on Yom Kippur, as well as on Seder night, during one’s wedding ceremony, and finally as a burial shroud. The grandfather is wearing slippers due to the halachic law prohibiting the wearing of leather shoes on Yom Kippur. It is also customary to light a special memorial or Yahrzeit candle on the eve of Yom Kippur, as can be seen on the table.
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Wilhelm Wachtel - Wilhelm Wachtel was a painter, engraver, and illustrator born in Lvov, Poland. Wachtel studied art in Poland and Germany. He painted various styles and topics, but many of his works depict Jewish scenes. Wachtel immigrated to Israel in 1936 where he created a series of paintings depicting the difficult life of the pioneers in Israel. Most of Wachtel’s work was lost during World War II. He died in the United States in 1942.
