We hope those who celebrated Easter had a day full of egg-citement! Easter is celebrated around the world, with many families having their own special traditions and customs. Former 103 Orchard resident, Ramonita Saez-Velez, would have celebrated this holiday based on her Catholic religion. In Ramonita’s apartment, she kept objects that reminded her of her home in Puerto Rico and her faith — one being the Bible currently displayed in the Saez Velez’ recreated living room, sitting on a table below a photo of Pope Paul VI.
Object Spotlight
Collections Spotlight: April 2023
April 12, 2023
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Easter
The Sagrada Biblia is important in the Catholic faith especially during Easter, as it recounts the significant events remembered during Semana Santa, or ‘Holy Week’.
Pictured: Ramonita’s black, leather-bound Bible has Sagrada Biblia (‘Holy Bible’ in Spanish) etched in gold script below an image of a woman with two children in the front, with both the Old and New Testament printed in Spanish.
Passover
Looking for a new recipe to serve at Passover Seder? Look no further than this pamphlet containing Passover recipes — discovered in 2003 inside Apartment #9 in 97 Orchard Street. The recipes were provided by the Horowtiz Margareten Company, a business started by a family from Hungary who immigrated to the United States before settling in the Lower East Side. The family first opened a grocery store before realizing the potential in selling matzo, an unleavened flatbread important to Passover celebrations.
Founder Regina Horowitz Margareten was eulogized as the “Matzo Queen” of New York City when she died in 1959, and the company is still celebrated today as a pioneer in the kosher food industry. It’s clear how impactful their business was to the Lower East Side as we assume this pamphlet was used by a resident from 97 Orchard Street, perhaps for some cooking inspiration.
Ramadan
Your Story, Our Story is the Tenement Museum’s digital collection that invites visitors from around the globe to share family memories and traditions through an object of personal meaning. As Ramadan continues, we share Ishraq’s story about a tool important to their family history and traditions.
This narkel kuruni was a gift from Ishraq’s mother who inherited it from her mother, using the kuruni to prepare traditional Bengali desserts. Ishraq remembers their grandmother grating coconut with the Kuruni before Eid-Un-Fitr, a holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Although using the kuruni involves intense physical effort, the experience connects Ishraq to their family.
It is actually pretty hard work since your back begins to ache after bending down to grind the coconut against the bladed top. However, I feel extremely happy to be able to connect with my culture and traditions…