Subject: Rabbis--Correspondence

A one and one-quarter page letter written circa 1855 by A. I. H. Bernal in Louisville, Kentucky, detailing Rabbi Isaac Wise's visit to the city. Bernal, the teacher at Congregation K. K. Adas Israel, describes the inroads of Reform Judaism and the challenges faced by the congregation, including internal conflicts with a faction referred to as "Gerstle." The letter highlights tensions between traditional and reform Jewish practices, financial difficulties, and the challenges of maintaining a Sabbath school in the face of competition and changing religious attitudes.

A one-page letter in German from Isidor Bush to Isaac Leeser, dated June 15, 1849. Bush discusses his withdrawal from publishing *Israel's Herald*, a short-lived Jewish weekly, in favor of Leeser's publications and inquires about collaborating on a Hebrew catalogue and acquiring German type for printing. The letter reflects the close relationship between key figures in the development of American Jewish publishing in the 19th century.

A three-page letter from T. Levin to Isaac Leeser, dated October 7, 1852, providing an update on the progress of Congregation Chevra Cheneses Shalom in Syracuse, New York, one month after its consecration by Leeser. The letter details the success of the High Holidays services, the election of Isaac H. Bronner as president, and the efforts to retain Rev. H. A. Henry as minister. The letter also reflects the growing Reform movement within the congregation by 1861.