Can you identify these menorahs?

At the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, our archive is not just papers and books. Our mission is to preserve and educate on all aspects of local Jewish history, and certainly this includes objects. Some are on display in our archive and office, but many are in storage, awaiting the  day when a gallery or museum space exists to display our many treasures.

Among the many objects in our collection are five menorahs, three of which are in storage. As Ruth Breindel mentioned in the last issue of The Jewish Voice, menorahs come in lots of different sizes and styles. Only some kinds of menorahs are intended to be used on Hanukkah. Many synagogues or temples had more than one menorah, each with a different use. We have one six-branched menorah from the old Congregation Sons of Zion on Orms Street, as well as the Bromberg Family Hanukkah menorah (lit for many years as part of the official Boston City Hall Hanukkah celebrations).

Unfortunately, three of the five menorahs in our collection no longer have identifying information. Do you know which synagogue these two menorahs come from? They are both six-branched electric menorahs, with one gold and one silver in color. Please let us know.

JOSHUA JASPER is the librarian/archivist of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association He can be reached at 401-331-1360 or email info@rijha.org. The library and archives are open to the public Monday through Friday.