Subject: Jewish law

Pamphlet detailing the British Act of 1858 that amended the law restricting the oath of office to Christians, allowing Lionel de Rothschild to take his seat in the House of Commons. The act, passed on July 26, 1858, addressed the issue of the oath's religious requirements. Published in the United Kingdom. The pamphlet excerpts relevant sections of the act, omitting the portion of the oath relating to Christian belief.

Manuscript bill of divorce (Get) written in Hebrew and Aramaic. Dated 14 Marheshvan 5648, corresponding to Tuesday, November 1, 1887. The document details the divorce of Ya'akov ben Eliyahu and Leah bat Yosef, with witnesses Yitshak ben Yosef and Yisrael ben Yeshayahu. Written in ink on a single sheet of paper (39.5 x 28 cm). Found and analyzed by Dr. Arthur Kiron, University of Pennsylvania. Shows an ink stain on the back and folding marks. The document's provenance is San Francisco, California, although the original auction description notes this as 'apparently' the location. The elegant scribal hand suggests the scribe possessed rabbinical training; however, no rabbi is mentioned on the document.

A broadside advertisement for "The Jewish Divorce Law," published by Edward Stern & Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The advertisement includes the price ($1.25 postpaid) and the publisher's address (112 N. Twelfth Street). The date of publication is unknown.

Pamphlet containing the Charter and By-Laws of the Har Sinai Congregation. Published in Baltimore, Maryland on February 1, 1885. This pamphlet details the organizational structure and regulations of the congregation.

This book contains the constitution and by-laws of the Congregation House of Israel of Philadelphia, published in 1873. It details the rules and regulations governing the congregation's operations, membership, and activities. According to Singerman 2411, only two copies of this book are known to exist.

This two-page letter constitutes a halachic inquiry from Isaac Moses Slatky, reader at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, to R. Solomon Eger of Posen, Germany. The inquiry references Eger's ruling prohibiting Kohanim from leading congregational blessings on holidays or receiving the first aliyah. The letter also includes a description of the Baltimore community, its synagogue, and its kosher mikva. The verso contains a letter from R. Samuel Fogelsdorf of Posen concerning the halachic inquiry and personal matters. It bears the scrawled signature of Yitzchak Chaim, who claims to have been a former student of Eger. Dated January 1, 1845.

A handwritten letter concerning a "shlichut haget" (mission of a Jewish divorce document) from 1886. The document was sent from New York City to Europe and is signed by Rabbi Shlomo Mordechai Ziskind (or Siskind), who is identified as a rabbi in New York, possibly affiliated with the Al-La'an Street School. Other signatories include Moshe Shimon B.R. Mordechai and Yitzhak B.R. Alexander Saander. The letter reflects the historical context of significant Jewish emigration from Europe to the United States in the late 19th century, specifically addressing instances where immigrants sent divorce documents back to Europe. The item features text in Hebrew/Yiddish script, handwritten on folded paper.

Manuscript copy book containing letters and commentary debating the permissibility of post-mortem examinations according to Jewish law. The letters, primarily from April 1856, include correspondence from various individuals, notably a letter from Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler of London and rebuttals from American scholars. The copy book also includes six pages of commentary not derived from the copied letters. The cover features a pasted title from the *Occident*, June 1856. The internal first page is dated June 17, 1886, and signed by Dr. M. Mielziner (Professor, Hebrew Union College); however, the majority of the book is in a different hand and ink. The book includes a letter from T.J. Sexias of Jew's Hospital in NYC (April 7, 1856), Rabbi Illowy of St. Louis (April 6, 1856), and an unsigned rebuttal to Chief Rabbi Adler. A two-column clipping from the 1896 *Israelite* by Dr. M. Mielziner is pasted on the final page. The book may have been compiled by Isaac Leeser, possibly in preparation for publication in the *Occident*.

Manuscript in English and Hebrew, containing laws of kosher slaughtering with questions and answers for the practicing Shochet. Written in neat English cursive and square Hebrew letters on 17 leaves of paper. Shows signs of staining. Bound in contemporary marbled wrappers; front cover stained and slightly torn. 12mo. Circa 1850-1860. The manuscript may be a copy of an existing book and requires further research. The handwriting varies, suggesting two scribes. The text includes an account mentioning a sum of money ("four months at four thousand and forty three...dollars"), suggesting the manuscript's creation in the United States. The scarcity of trained Shochetim (ritual slaughterers) in 19th-century America contextualizes the manuscript's creation as a training manual.

This work, *Opera Sabbathum Depellentia*, examines the laws of the Sabbath and the circumstances that permit their violation. Written in Latin with sections in Hebrew, it draws upon Talmudic examples to illustrate situations where Sabbath observance may be legitimately suspended. Published circa 1708, this pamphlet provides insights into the interpretation and application of Jewish law regarding Sabbath restrictions.

A handwritten testimony, primarily in Yiddish, detailing the account of R. Eizik, son of R. Shimon Zimansky, regarding his observation of Mr. Abraham smoking in public on Shabbat in Chicago, Illinois. The document labels Mr. Abraham as a 'Mechalel Shabbos' (Sabbath desecrator). It is signed by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Gershon Leeser and other members of the Beth Din. The document is on a plain piece of paper with handwritten script and some staining. 3.

This book, published in 1836, examines the laws of marriage within Jewish tradition. It specifically addresses the permissibility of polygamy and the extent of the laws of incest. Author S.E. Dwight presents a detailed analysis of these complex topics from a legal and religious perspective, offering insights into the interpretation and application of Jewish marital laws.

This book, published by the Bloch Publishing and Printing Company in Cincinnati in 1884, explores the Jewish law of marriage and divorce across different historical periods and its intersection with secular law. Authored by Rabbi Moses Mielziner, a prominent figure in American Reform Judaism, the work comprises 149 pages and includes a final leaf of publisher's advertisements. This is the first edition; a revised second edition was published in 1901.

This is the first part of a multi-part compilation of the *Hayye Adam* (Life of Man), a classic work of Jewish law. Published in 1897 by Leon & Weinkrantz in New York City, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of Jewish legal principles and practices. Parts 2 and 3 were published in 1900 by a different printer.

Six-page pamphlet detailing a rabbinic court case in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1863. The case, presided over by Rabbi Illoway, involved R. Lowenthal (widow) and her daughter suing Meyer Goldman for fraud. Both parties agreed to abide by the laws of Moses. This printed record is considered unusually rare and possibly the earliest extant example of its kind.