Tenu Shira (Hymn for Purim holiday), [Iranian Kurdistan: Early 20th century]

This highly decorative plaque was produced for a member of the ancient Jewish community of Kurdistan, a geo-cultural region covering parts of Iran, northern Iraq, Syria and eastern Turkey. On the holiday of Purim, before the reading of the Esther Scroll, members of the Iranian Kurdish Jewish community recited a special pizmon (liturgical hymn) authored by the poet Yefet Benaya. The title of the hymn, Tenu Shira, is derived from the words of the first stanza "Give song and chant, O chosen people, To God supernal."  The vast majority of Jews left Kurdistan in 1950-51 immigrating to Israel. This colorful decorative Purim plaque is a scarce example of the marriage of popular folk-art motifs with the devout religious beliefs of a vibrant Jewish community.

Literature: Ora Shwartz-Be'eri,  The Jews of Kurdistan: Daily Life, Customs, Arts and Crafts, Jerusalem: 2000; Erich Brauer, The Jews of Kurdistan, rev. ed., completed and edited by Raphael Patai, Detroit: 1993.