In the past, pregnancy and delivery were extremely dangerous for both mother and child. It is therefore of no surprise that a woman who experienced difficulties in her delivery and survived, felt the need to show her gratitude by donating a Torah crown to her local congregation. But most vulnerable were the babies whom people believed were a target of evil spirits and demons such as Lilith. In order to fight these harmful spirits, they protected the child with amulets called Shaddai. These were very popular among Italian Jews and they come in many styles and shapes.