Subject: Sephardim

14k gold and enamel medal awarded to Adolphus S. Solomons, Vice President of the American Red Cross, circa 1880. The cross bar reads "Vice President for the United States", and the back is engraved with his name. The medal features a red cross on a white and blue background. The medal is associated with the founding of the American Red Cross and Solomons' significant role in the organization.

First edition of the first Hebrew grammar printed in the New World. Published in 1676, this book, written by Martin del Castillo, presents a Hebrew grammar in both Hebrew and Spanish. The Hebrew words are pointed and followed by Spanish transliterations. Del Castillo, possibly a Marrano, was born in Burgos and studied Hebrew under the converso Rabbi Moyses (D. Francisco del Hoyo) in Mexico City. Due to the lack of printing facilities in Mexico capable of handling Hebrew type, the book was printed in Europe. The book is divided into five parts covering pronunciation, names and declensions, verbs, irregular verbs, and sentence structure. The book is considered extremely rare.

Autograph letter signed from Moses Michael Hays to Michael Gratz, dated June 1769. Hays congratulates Gratz on his marriage. The letter includes an integral address leaf with a New York postmark and a bishop's mark. Written on one page, 4to. The letter reflects the business relationship between Hays and Gratz and provides insight into their personal lives.

Billhead from J. Andrade, a business dealing in fancy ostrich feathers, located in New York, New York. The billhead is dated May 29, 1875. The name J. Andrade suggests a Sephardic origin.

Billhead from Mantoue & Co., wholesale grocers and commission merchants located at 114 East Bay, Charleston, South Carolina. The billhead advertises their services as wholesale dealers in groceries, liquors, wines, and ales, and agents for the sale of manufactured tobacco. It is dated October 28, 1868. The billhead is associated with an early Sephardic Charleston family.

Bookplate depicting the interior of Mikveh Israel-Cherry Street Synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bookplate likely dates from the 1890s and belonged to Leon H. Elmaleh. It shows a connection to Mikveh Israel Congregation.

Bookplate depicting an interior view of the Cherry Street Synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bookplate includes the inscription "EX LIBRIS" and is associated with Leon H. Elmaleh. Circa 1890s.

Broadside advertising a performance of the play "The Mistletoe Bough" at the Academy of Music in New York City on Tuesday evening, April 10, 1876. The performance was a benefit for the Mount Vernon Endowment Fund. The broadside lists prominent attendees, including Mrs. Uriah Hendricks (Fanny Tobias Hendricks, 1809-1881).

Carte-de-visite (CDV) photograph of Samuel Etting, seated, taken by Bendann Brothers of Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1859. The back of the photograph is marked with the studio's address: 205 Balto. St. Samuel Etting (1796-1862) was a grandson of Barnard Gratz and served as the first president of Baltimore's House of Israel. He was a veteran of the War of 1812.

This book, published in Paramaribo in 1788, provides a historical essay on the colony of Surinam. Authored by David Cohen Nassy, it details the colony's founding, revolutions, and progress from its origins to the time of publication. The work includes a description of the colony, its annual revenues, expenses, and taxes, along with civil and political aspects. Furthermore, it features a tableau of the morals of its inhabitants and a history of the Portuguese and German Jewish communities established there. The book is written in French.

This document is a financial record detailing the rental of seats at Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, New York. The record, dated June 8, 1842, shows the rental of one man's seat and three women's seats for a six-month period. The names Phillips, D. and Hendricks, Henry, are associated with the transaction.

This is a copy of the 1869 printing of Isaac Leeser's *Form of Prayers*, specifically the single-volume daily prayer book. This edition, printed by Slote & Mooney, is notable for being published the year after Leeser's death (February 1868). The 5629 (1869) publication date suggests a possible business opportunity for the printer to produce the book without paying royalties to Leeser's estate.

Invitation to a lecture titled "The Secret of Israel's Strong Vitality" delivered by S. Roubin at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The exact date of the lecture is unknown; the invitation is undated.

This archival item consists of an invitation to Mr. & Mrs. H. H. Cohen's home on Wednesday, February 16th (likely 1866), along with two additional cards mentioning a ceremony at 12:00 o'clock and Miss Elizabeth Cohen. The item also includes a personal letter, largely focused on the death of the writer's father, family matters, and a nephew's emigration to British Columbia. The letter mentions greetings from Mr. Belasco, Mrs. Piciotto, and a sister, as well as from the writer's husband, Solomon Almosnino. The letter is addressed to Isaac Leeser. Found in an envelope addressed to Isaac Leeser.

Handwritten and illuminated ledger of the Chevra Mishnayot (Mishna study society) of Congregation Anshei Sfard in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Created between 1918 and 1925, this ledger contains hundreds of entries written in Hebrew cursive, many decorated with gold paint and black ink borders. Some pages feature colorful illustrations of flowers and leaves. The ledger includes bylaws, membership records, and other details of the society's activities. The binding is black leather with silver tooling, a red leather inset, and marbled endpapers. A pink receipt from the 1920s is included within the ledger. The watermark on the paper indicates "Artright Ledger". This manuscript offers insights into early 20th-century Jewish life in Boston and the practices of one of the earliest Sephardic congregations in the United States. A receipt from the Kaminski Auction House documenting its purchase in 1999 is also present.

A one-page letter written aboard the ship *Mole* by Abraham Pereira Mendes to his father-in-law, Aaron Lopez, on September 8, 1772. Mendes describes a perilous voyage during a squall that required cutting both masts. He conveys greetings to Mrs. Lopez and Mr. & Mrs. Rivera. The letter provides insight into 18th-century sea travel and the personal life of Mendes, a Sephardic Jew from a distinguished but impoverished Jamaican family.

A two-page letter written by Albert Cohn in Paris, France to Samuel Etting in Baltimore, Maryland on February 2, 1858. The letter is part of the Etting/Carvalho Archive and relates to the Congregation of the Sephardim. The letter is written in French and English.

A letter written by C. A. de la Messa to J. A. Hixon in Rome, Georgia on August 3, 1866. The letter concerns the submission of vouchers for pay in July from the Bureau of Refugees. Messa's surname suggests Sephardic Jewish origins.

A one-page letter written by Michael Seeligson of Galveston, Texas to Isaac Leeser on September 1, 1852, describing the consecration of the Hebrew Cemetery in Galveston. Seeligson details the ceremony, the attendees, and the significance of this event for the small Jewish community. This letter is a rare example of early Texana related to Jewish history.

A four-page letter written by Sarah Almosnino from the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, England, to Rev. Sabato Morais in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 16, 1865. The letter, written on black-bordered stationery, details the death of her father and discusses family matters and friends. She mentions her nephew's emigration to British Columbia and conveys greetings from Mr. Belasco, Mrs. Piciotto, and her sister.

A partially printed London Tobacco Warehouse receipt documenting the shipment of tobacco from Maryland aboard the ship Sally, consigned to Emanuel Cortisoz in London. The receipt, dated April 11, 1791, indicates Richard Cromwell of Maryland as the shipper and William Anderson as the London merchant acting as agent. This receipt provides insight into the transatlantic tobacco trade and the involvement of Sephardic Jews in London's mercantile activities. The document measures 18 inches wide by 7.5 inches high.

Two uncut lottery tickets, numbers 20549 and 20460, for the New York State Lottery for the Encouragement of Literature. The first ticket is for a 1/2 share, and the second is for a 1/4 share. Both tickets are signed by Isaac M. Gomez, 97 Maiden Lane, New York City. Verso is blank. Circa 1805.

A beautifully executed manuscript copy (ca. 1860-1870) of the inscription on the 1719 tombstone of Samuel Zanwill (Samuel Levy), one of the earliest Jewish settlers in New York City. According to Rabbi David de Sola Pool's "Portraits Etched in Stone," the inscription is actually from the tombstone of Samuel Levy, and Zanwill was his familiar Jewish name. Levy was a President of the Synagogue and a Constable of the City. This manuscript is accompanied by a companion manuscript of his brother Moses Levy's tombstone. The creator and purpose of these manuscripts remain unknown.

This manuscript, written in Dutch and Hebrew, contains the prayer book for Sephardic afternoon and evening services. Created between 1864 and 1869 in Suriname, it was likely used by a cantor (Chazan) in a local synagogue. The manuscript includes liturgical instructions and is a valuable resource for understanding the religious practices of Sephardic Jews in Suriname during the 19th century.

Oil on canvas portrait depicting Ellen Naar with her granddaughter, Sarah Francis. The painting is framed and measures 33.5 x 26.5 inches. Created circa 1835. Ellen Naar (d. 1856) was married to Joshua Naar of the Sephardic-American Naar family and was a member of New York's Shearith Israel synagogue.

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.

Hebrew and English prayer book edited by Isaac Leeser, published in Philadelphia by Slote & Mooney in 1857. This is David de Sola Pool's annotated copy, containing his marginal notations and additional typed notes. The book shows signs of age, including a loss to the upper corner of the Hebrew title page and browning. The book consists of 215 pages and is bound in later boards. De Sola Pool used this prayer book as a working template for his own Fast Day liturgical edition.

The Tobias Archive comprises over 750 pages of business and personal correspondence, receipts, manifests, invoices, and legal documents spanning from 1816 to 1886. It documents the mercantile activities and family life of the Tobias family, a prominent branch of the New York Sephardic elite. The collection includes 278 individual letters and documents on 426 leaves, three copybooks containing 365 letters on 234 leaves, and approximately 50 pages of additional uncataloged materials. The materials provide insights into 19th-century business practices, family relationships, and social life within the New York Sephardic community. Geographic locations referenced include Liverpool, England; New York, New York; New Orleans, Louisiana; and various Caribbean locales. The archive has a detailed finding aid.

Dutch-language manuscript will of Rachel Suasso de Pinto, widow of Antonio Lopes Suasso, dated March 4, 1776. The will details the distribution of assets to support the poor and certain family members. This document is part of a larger collection of manuscripts relating to the Dutch-Jewish noble families de Pinto and Lopes Suasso.