Single-page handwritten letter from Phillip Mann to Levi Phillips, dated 1834, requesting permission for Rabbi Isaac Leeser to officiate at Mann's wedding to Clara Forst. The letter highlights the then-contemporary practice of laymen performing marriage ceremonies and the emerging role of the rabbi in such matters within the Jewish community. It also touches upon the later disagreements between Rabbi Leeser and lay leaders of Mikveh Israel regarding religious authority. The letter is part of a larger collection of materials related to the history of Judaism in America.
Subject: Marriage customs and rites -- United States -- 19th century
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