Subject: Classical education

Four-page letter dated September 5, 1849, from Eleazer Bloch in New York City to Reverend Isaac Leeser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bloch details the failure of his attempt to establish a classical school for Jewish children in New York City, discusses his new career as a commission merchant, and shares family news. The letter provides a rare glimpse into the challenges of establishing Jewish educational institutions in 19th-century New York.