Subject: Manuscripts

A manuscript sermon on the etymology of the Hebrew phrase "Ad Olam," written in English with some Hebrew. The three pages are meticulously written in small, even script and laid on silk. A note on the verso indicates when to use the phrase. Circa 1850.

Autograph letter signed by Sir Moses Montefiore, dated April 14, 1878. The letter, written to an unidentified Mrs. Jones, returns a manuscript. The shaky signature reflects Montefiore's advanced age (he was 94 at the time).

Eleven-page autograph manuscript essay, "A Short Essay on the Truth of the Jewish Religion," sent to Isaac Leeser in July 1846. The essay, later published in *The Occident* (Vol. 4, pp. 169-175), argues for the importance of the unity of God in Judaism. Written in English. Folio. Lightly stained. The manuscript is housed in the collection of the University of Pennsylvania.

Billhead for Rahl Herstein, a resident of Huntsville, Alabama. Dated 1859-1860. The bill lists two items and their prices, totaling $5.50. The bill is written in cursive and contains no printed details or decorative elements. The buyer is listed as E.C. Spragisus.

A handwritten promissory note for a demand loan of $500 at 5% interest. The loan was made by J.J. Kuhn to J.A. Kuhn on April 10, 1878, in Port Townsend, Washington.

A manuscript draft of a sermon written in English and Hebrew. The author is unknown, but the document was found among papers associated with Isaac Leeser. The manuscript dates from the mid-to-late 1800s.

Manuscript genealogical research on the Lyons, Hart, and Cohen families, spanning the mid-1700s to the early 1820s. The document lists names, birth and death dates, and grave locations of family members. Compiled circa 1860-1880s.

A handwritten poem dated December 25, 1854, from Alice Cohen to Mary Hume. The poem was torn from a remembrance book dedicated to Mary Hume Armstrong of South Carolina. The cities mentioned in the book include Homewood, Columbia, Rock Hill, Rome, Arcadia, and Linwood. Alice Gertrude Nathans (Cohen) was born in Charleston, South Carolina on January 7, 1847, and died July 3, 1900. The poem measures approximately 6 by 7 1/2 inches.

A single-leaf manuscript written in Hebrew square script. The poem, penned by Dov Pick, is addressed to the Trustees of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City. It features a striking arrangement and is dated 26th Tishrei 1814 (January 2, 1814). The manuscript shows signs of age, including marginal losses and heavy folds. Measurements: 12 x 7 inches.

A twelve-page manuscript copybook (19.5 cm x 21 cm) predominantly written in German, with a single phrase in block Hebrew. Written on both sides of each page except the last. The manuscript lacks a cover. Most entries conclude with "Amen." Written by Isaac Leeser, this copybook is believed to date from his early years in America (circa 1825-1830), though further research is needed to verify the exact date and to determine if the manuscript was brought from Europe. Found among other Leeser papers. Reviewed and verified by Dr. Arthur Kiron and Bruce Nielsen at the University of Pennsylvania's Katz Center.

A 5 x 5 inch manuscript note written by Isaac Leeser, requesting funds for Palestine. The note appears to be a draft in preparation for publication. This document was discovered among other papers belonging to Leeser and has been verified by Dr. Arthur Kiron, the Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections, and Bruce Nielsen, Judaica Public Services Librarian and Archivist, at the Katz Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Date of creation is unknown.

Six double-sided manuscript pages from a ledger book belonging to the Tobias family in London, England. All entries are in Pound Sterling. Circa 1820.

A 5.5 x 6 inch manuscript note on anti-Semitic scholars and their errors. Part of the note may have been copied from an article. The note appears complete and was likely kept for reference. It may have been an insert from a letter to Isaac Leeser on the subject, as it was found with other Leeser papers. The note is not in Leeser's handwriting. This document has been reviewed and verified at the Katz Center of the University of Pennsylvania by Dr. Arthur Kiron, the Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections and Bruce Nielsen, Judaica Public Services Librarian and Archivist, who is a trained paleographer.

Neatly handwritten manuscript copy of the obituary of Joseph Simon, possibly the original from which a newspaper copy was made. Dated approximately 1804.

A four-stanza manuscript prayer, possibly recited by a child attending a Hebrew Sunday school, a Jewish foster home, or the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum. The prayer was found tipped into a family Bible belonging to Rebecca Gratz and appears to be a copy of another source. Date of creation is unknown, but the manuscript was discovered in a Bible with a connection to the Gratz family.

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.

Manuscript of a preface to the scripture, written and signed by Rabbi Solomon Freehof, a prominent Pittsburgh religious leader. The manuscript is associated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The date of creation is estimated to be around January 1, 1950.

Collection of Jewish recipes in Yiddish and English. Date of compilation is approximately January 1, 1917. The manuscript is part of the M Collection, located in Ms. Coll. 1410, Box 6, Folder 114.

This volume contains a printed book and an appended manuscript. The printed book, *Sepher Berith Yitzchak*, edited by Selomoh Levy Maduro, is a prayer book for circumcision ceremonies according to the Sephardic rite. Published in Amsterdam by I. Mondovi for G.J. Jansson in 1768, it includes woodcut illustrations, dedications, and lists of qualified mohelim (circumcisers) across the Spanish and Portuguese communities of Europe and the Americas. Notably, it details ceremonies for the circumcision of slaves, mamzerim (bastards), Marranos, and converts. The appended manuscript, written in Hebrew by Salomon Seruya of Lisbon in 1839, is a handwritten Brith Milah manual comprising two parts: *Hanhagot HaMohel* and a piyut for circumcision ("Ezrahi Haya Yahid Ben Le-umim"). The Seruya family were long-term residents of Gibraltar.

Manuscript study note on the translation of Aramean. The note measures 8" x 5" and contains several complete sentences on the verso, written in a very small script. It begins: "The Chaldaic dialect has a (?) close to the Syriac; hence they are both frequently referred to under the common name Aramean." The note includes tables comparing script and further commentary. It is not in the handwriting of Isaac Leeser; it may be an insert from a letter to Leeser on the subject. Found with other Leeser papers. This document has been reviewed and verified at the Katz Center of the University of Pennsylvania by Dr. Arthur Kiron, the Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections, and Bruce Nielsen, Judaica Public Services Librarian and Archivist, who is a trained paleographer.