Subject: Mental illness

A one-page letter written by Zalma Rehine from Baltimore on September 30, 1830, to his nephew Isaac Leeser. The letter details the writer's distress upon learning of the death of his uncle, Berry Judah, and the subsequent mental breakdown of his aunt, Reinah Judah, who is described as laughing and crying constantly. Rehine's account highlights the emotional toll of the situation and the family's struggles. The letter is written in Rehine's hand, with phonetic misspellings.

This book, written by Warder Cresson (1798-1860), explores the author's conversion to Judaism and provides his reasoning behind it. Published around 1852, the work features a discussion of the author's 1851 lunacy trial, which stemmed from his conversion. Cresson uses biblical interpretation to contrast Christianity and Judaism, notably including a dialogue between an evangelical minister and a slave illustrating some contradictions of Christianity. The book also interprets the biblical story of the two women before Solomon allegorically as representing the true and false churches. The work concludes with an appendix and serves as a testament to Cresson's conviction and understanding of Jewish faith.