Atarah

The presented atara has rounded side edges. The pattern is arranged in nine triangular shapes at the top and bottom, they are separated by ten diagonal bands (in an alternating direction). There are clearances between the elements of the pattern and a narrow strip of edging runs along the entire rim.

The atara was probably used in Nowy Sącz, a town very important for the Jewish community in Poland. From the 19th century, Nowy Sącz was an important Hasidic center, tzaddik Chaim Halberstam had his manor there, his successors settled in Bobowa.

The Hasidic Jews were distinguished by an extremely orthodox approach to religiosity and customs, which even some other Hasidic groups did not agree with. Today, the descendants of Tzadik Halberstam live in Israel and New York. Before the outbreak of World War II, the Jews in Nowy Sącz constituted 1/3 of the town's population. There were thriving cultural, economic and political institutions. The orthodox Aguda was the strongest political party. You can read more about political movements and other important spheres of Jewish life in Nowy Sącz on the Virtual Shtetl website:https://sztetl.org.pl/pl/miejscowosci/n/538-nowy-sacz/99-historia-spolecznosci/137763-historia-spolecznosci.

Natalia Różańska