350 year old wimpel!
Wimpel for Sefer Torah. Germany, 1671
17th century German wimpel sewn of 4 white linen ribbons. Colorfully embroidered with fish, birds, crown and decorative swirls.
The center of the wimpel bears the embroidered inscription
‘Elazar Lipman ben Shmuel Shalit, born Sunday, 12 Adar 1671… May Hashem raise him to Torah, chuppah and good deeds.’
The last linen sash features a shield with three embroidered fish in its center beneath the inscription ‘Mazal Dagim.’
Wimpel length: 2.97 meters. width: 16 cm. Several holes in first and last sashes; stains.
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Wimpels: Whispers of the Past
Observing a custom that many believe dates back close to 700 years and the era of the Maharil, German (Yekke) Jews commemorate the special occasions in their child’s life on his wimpel. A wimpel is a long, linen sash used to swaddle a baby boy at his bris milah and later cut into four equal sashes that are sewn back together into a ribbon which is then used to bind and wrap a Sefer Torah. The child’s name, along with blessings, prayer verses and assorted embellishments are embroidered onto his wimpel. The first time a child went to shul, he came with his wimpel which was used to wrap the Sefer Torah during gelilah. This wimpel was used again during glilah on the week of his bar mitzvah.
Most antique wimpels went up in flames on Kristallnacht or were lost during the Holocaust.
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