Exciting: Silver kiddush cup of the Admor of Alexander of Lodz, stamped.

Exciting: Silver kiddush cup of the Admor of Alexander of Lodz, stamped.

Silver kiddush cup, small, delicate handmade engraving of a stem and “84” with the mark of the maker (“ME3”). Also flowers and houses, stamped Russia 19th century. Weight: 39g. Diameter: 5.5cm. Height: 6.5cm. Overall good condition.

Exciting engraving on the cup: “Alexander Rabbi fun Lodz”, see below. Above it is an inscription: “Avraham ben Chayai”. The latter is probably the dedicator of the item to the rabbi, as it was traditional amongst chassidim to write their names on items that they donated to their rabbi.

This holy item probably belonged to the Admor Rabbi Betzalel Yair Danziger of Alexander-Lodz (1865-1934), son of the first Admor of Aleander, Rabbi Yehiel. After his father’s death some of the chassidim wished to appoint him as Admor but he refused and supported his elder brother Rabbi Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzhak (the Yismach Yisrael). After his brother died in 1910 the chassidim again tried to get him to become Admor, but he supported his second brother, Rabbi Shmuel Zvi (the Tiferet Shmuel). During WWI he settled in Lodz and with his brother’s permission (who was also in Lodz), he began to receive chassidim. After the end of the war he remained in Lodz and operated an independent Beit Midrash and some of the Alexander chassidim stayed with him. He is buried in Alexander.