From behind the Iron Curtain to America

On our Restoration and Conservation page we chronicled the repair and framing of a mezuzah (a piece of parchment contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 that is affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes). Its story is such a moving one - of a family's religious article that traveled with them, physically and emotionally throughout Soviet Russia at a time when religious beliefs were not tolerated - that we asked its owner, Vladimir, if we could share it. Here then is that story in Vladimir's words:

The beauty of this mezuzah would be cut short if some homage wasn’t paid to the rich history that it survived through. It’s story begins in the Soviet Union, home to thousands of Jews, despite the fundamental ideas that communism held against religion. Growing up, as I sat in class in my ironed black and white uniform which included a subtle red scarf around my neck, constantly reminding me that the knowledge I gain is here to serve the republic, it was instilled in me that there was no space for religion in the Soviet Union. The ideal environment for the Soviet Union was preached to be one that cherished atheism; I followed along with this ideal, that is, until I came home. At home, tradition was more important than the contents of any manifesto, and traditional Jewish values seeped through everything that we did as a family.

Despite having to keep many of her traditions a secret, my grandma was adamant about maintaining her faith, which is how this mezuzah ended up in her house. From her stories, this mezuzah made its way into my grandparents home in the little shtetl of Zhmerinka, in Vinitskaya Oblast Ukraine, before World War II. As the horrors of Nazi invading forces became reality, this mezuzah remained a protective force over my grandparents and parents, and traveled with them through evacuation in Uzbekistan and back to Ukraine where it continued to watch over them as I was growing up. I still remember my annual visits to my grandparents town over spring break as I watched this mezuzah get painted over during the spring cleanings.As time went on, and I grew to have my own family, my grandma chose to sell the home I associated with my childhood springs and summers, and move to my city of Odessa. Of course, in a city with one of the highest Jewish populations in Eastern Europe, the mezuzah had to come with her, and she felt that with all the traditions that I helped pass on to my now growing family, this mezuzah had to be one of them, and gifted it to me. After moving the United States, the mezuzah helped guide our family in some of our most vulnerable times.

I knew I wanted to honor its divinity and the history it held within, but my lack of religious knowledge never allowed me to do so. After consulting with religious leader after leader after leader, I was told that despite it no longer being able to hold religious value as a mezuzah due to it’s frail state, it could still serve as an antique from the pre-World War II era. With the help of the wonderful work done by Zelda's Art World, this mezuzah continues to symbolize the hardships that our family and the Jewish people have endured, and I hope it continues reminding my children, and my children's children of the importance of their roots.

Thank you, Vladimir, for entrusting Zelda's Art World with your beloved mezuzah

Thank you Vladimir for entrusting Art World Frames with your beloved mezuzah