Donation registry book

Voluntary donations for charitable purposes, known as Tzedaka is a fundamental value in Jewish communities. Before the era of Emancipation various charitable organizations provided for the poor and less fortunate members of the Jewish community. This comprehensive system of care included everyone, the rich contributed, while living conditions of the poor improved. The first record of donations of the Irsa Jewish community is from 1823, although the community had already existed during the 18th century and had a synagogue built in 1809. The title is written on a heart shaped paper overlay superimposed on the cover. Underneath the overlay, painted paper clippings are patched together to represent a double-headed eagle. On the first page fish-tailed, snake-like creatures with the beak of an eagle emerge out of the two pillars resembling the Jerusalem Temple, and there is a pomegranate in between them. Donations were meticulously recorded in this book for a period of almost a decade; the next record book starts in 1832.