Handwritten letter book documenting the correspondence of Samuel Etting (1796-1862) with rabbis and Jewish figures from various countries between 1857 and 1858. Etting sought support for the establishment of the Beit Yisrael Sefardi congregation in Baltimore. The letters include copies of correspondence sent to Sir Moses Montefiore and Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild. The book contains nine written leaves with approximately twenty letters. Accompanying the letter book are eight additional handwritten letters sent to Etting and Solomon Nunes Carvalho in 1858, from rabbis in England, France, and the Caribbean Islands, concerning honorary memberships in the Baltimore Sephardic community. The materials show the attempts to establish a Sephardic synagogue in Baltimore and its ultimate failure. The letter book measures 30.5 cm and is in good condition, with some tears to the margins and stains. The additional eight letters show folding marks and minor damages.
Subject: Religious life -- 19th century
No additional authority information available for Religious life -- 19th century.
A five-page letter written in German by Rabbi Bernard Henry Gotthelf of Louisville, Kentucky, to Isaac Leeser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1850. The letter details Gotthelf's experiences and observations about his congregation, including the size of the student body at the local school (80-100 students), the religious observance of the community (many stores closed on Sabbath), and the composition of the congregational board. A full English translation is included.