Entries from The Diary of a Jewish Bookseller Sep 2019

A clear sign the spring season has arrived, is when customers start asking me to set aside books until their wives are in the bungalows, when they can then sneak them in to their homes

An Elderly Hasidic couple visiting the store: While he spent hours browsing, his wife found a corner and spent the time knitting him a sweater

A Fiercely Anti-Zionist Hasidic visitor remarked to me that my name is composed of two evil entities, the state Israel and the Mizrahi movement, but you are OK he informed me

Conversing with a local Syrian Jew in the store on what Syrian Jewish Life was like,  felt like going back in time: His grandfather was born in 1830! Both him and his father having been born to their parents late in their life

A loyal customer noted to me about a book I had listed: Gerem Hamaalot—"the descendants of the author, R Meshulam Igra ended up in Australia and then Sacramento...and I dated one of them one summer in high school 😬Was somewhat tempted to buy it but I think I’m over her—i mean over it"

Just got off the phone with a young boy, approx. 10 years old who called the store and started rattling off all the books in his collection, wanting to know about them and their worth and fascinated that he found someone who he can converse about his books with

After acquiring a library from the children of a deceased collector and unpacking the boxes in the store, I received an unpleasant visit from someone who claimed to be a relative of the deceased owner, demanding the books back. A call to the family members I dealt with had them tell me, "we don't want to deal with him, figure it out on your own". After him saying "I've got friends" and "I am a man of the street", I voted to give up the books in favor of my personal safety.

A Postal worker making a delivery conveyed his amazement at the sight of all the books, and didn't leave until he purchased a Jewish Bible and some other essentials

On the phone with a customer who recently discovered his Jewishness, I was asked if there was a "Baal Teshuvah" discount. Clearly, the man still has a way to go to integrate into Haredi Society

A visiting customer took the trouble to inform me that I am wasting my life, as I could have easily become the next Rav Ovadia Yosef

I suspect I won't be hearing from a particular decade-long regular customer: Now awaiting sentencing after torching an old Rabbis home and threatening to kill him

An Israeli Judaica dealer picked up a 20th century Vizhnitz book in the shop and remarked how he loved the 16th century Venice Printing. Even after letting him know that Vizhnitz was not Venice, he insisted that in Hebrew it is one and the same

A Tale of Two Worlds in 1: Unpacking a Chabad Chassid's library I acquired, I discovered the former owner had a strange interest in the Satmar Rebbe's writings, with well-used copies of R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn's writings adjacent to those of R. Yoel Teitelbaum

An order came through for a very specific 19th century Ketubah from a Lawyer in Panama, working on behalf of an interior designer in Europe who was designing a Russian Oligarch's new home who insisted on having one hanging in his new home along with a translation of the text

While placing an order on the phone, the customer requested I confirm that the edition of the Ohr Hachaim on the Torah she was ordering was the version that protected your home and brought blessing to your life

I received the following after a book was received by the customer: "Didn't trouble you with expressing my thanks for the Hebrew Language book over the Sabbath & Sunday, as the Lords day respectively, is his and not my property to bear tidings of any sort.Very grateful nonetheless, since my lessons in Hebrew earlier in life were cut short by a ex-wife who saw little use in what she considered a dead tongue. Fool that she remains."

A local real-estate broker asked for some basic books on Judaism, as he was dating a Jewish Girl and he was a devout Catholic. He left the store with a handful of Aryeh Kaplan books and a lengthy explanation from me of the dangers of marrying a JAP.

A young schoolboy expressed interest in Kabbalah and purchased a work by Gerschom Scholem, only to return it after his father reprimanded him for reading inappropriate material

After purchasing a Mezuzah, the customer informed me that she wasn't Jewish but believed that the Mezuzah would protect her from the evil spirits that were plaguing her

Acquiring from the library of a Jews for Jesus center that folded, I was surprised to find there a traditional Rabbinic library that would not embarrass any world-class Yeshiva.

A customer called to arrange the sale of his library following his imminent death, informing me that he had terminal cancer and he was wanted to ensure that his books find a good home after his passing

A non-Jewish Truck-driver unloading a Snapple delivery across the street, noticing me bringing in boxes of books, requested and bought some Kabbalistic works, informing me that the subject was a long-time interest of his

Making a house-call one night to pick up some books, I was rather befuddled after encountering the woman of the home doing her house chores wearing an attractive pair of Tefillin

A call comes through from a parent requesting that I keep an eye out for his son, a local 12 year old regular who is enroute to the store. The father suspected he was stealing cash to fuel his rare book collecting addiction and wanted me to see how much cash he pulls out of his wallet

Rabbi Ruvein Fein at the Gottesman Library of Yeshiva University - Guest Post by Zalman Alpert

Guest Post by Zalman Alpert, Judaica Reference Librarian at the Gottesman Library of Yeshiva University from 1982–2014

As I wrote in an earlier contribution, Gottesman Library was used by many Rebbes and scholars of the Chasidic community, but few important rabbis of the Yeshiva community used the library.

An important exception I recall was Rav Ruvein Fein, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Torah VaDaas in Brooklyn. Although he did not personally come to the library, he did send one of his talmidim as his shliach.

R. Reuven Fein

Rav Fein was a grandson of Rav Yehuda Leib Fein Hyd, the last Rav of the city of Slonim, a city noted for it's famed rabbis.

My rebbe, Rabbi Shimon Romm of RIETS, told me that he picked up his oratorical skills from listening to the drashoth of Rav Fain, while R Romm was a student in the Slonimer Yeshiva of Rav Yagel. R. Romm considered Rabbi Fain as the best rabbinic speaker in the Litvishe sector of Poland (Eastern Poland).
In 1992 I was able to assist Rav Fein's talmid in locating some shtiklech Torah that his grandfather wrote for the rabbinic journal, Shaarei Torah in Warsaw among whose editors was Rav Mendel Kasher. Using Gottesman Librarys holding of pre-War Torah periodicals, this was a challenge but hardly impossible. I didn't think much of this until a while latter when I received a hand written thank you note from Rav Ruvain, expressing his gratitude and explaining what this meant for him.

The Thank you note from Rabbi Fein

Receiving a thank you from a leading gaon was meaningful for me as well, and is something I never forgot.
Rav Feins yorhzeit is the 25th day of Sivan
Zekher Zaddik Livrocha

Announcement: Special shiur by Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber on this Monday, Sep. 9th and Wednesday, Sep.11th, 8:45 PM

The readership of the Blog is cordially invited to a shiur/lecture by the noted author, Rav Yechiel Goldhaber, whose respected research and scholarship is well-known. 

The lecture will take place Monday, September 9th, 7:30 PM at 1454 54th Street, Brooklyn, NY. Rabbi Goldhaber’s speech will be delivered in Yiddish. The subject of this lecture is “The Mesorah of the Etrogim”. Rabbi Goldhaber will present the subject matter in a comprehensive, detailed yet clear manner, aided by drawings, pictures and photographs.

This lecture is dedicated לזכר נשמת  the late Dr. Shlomo Sprecher ז״ל  who coordinated and hosted many of Rabbi Goldhaber’s shiurim.

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A second lecture by the noted author, Rav Yechiel Goldhaber, will take place Wednesday, September 11th, 8:45 PM at 39 Eastbourne Dr Chestnut Ridge, NY. Rabbi Goldhaber’s speech will be delivered in English. The subject of this lecture is “The Mesorah of the Esrogim”. Rabbi Goldhaber will present the subject matter in a comprehensive, detailed yet clear manner, aided by drawings, pictures and photographs.

Cataloging Unrecorded Jewish Pre-war Printings - How Many Titles were Lost Forever?

Ever wonder how many Jewish books were published before the Holocaust that are totally lost to time, with no copies existing or known of today? My suspicion is that approx. 10% of all pre-war printings are not present in any library today and are lost to time.

In surprising frequency I find myself holding a book in my hands that has no record in any library catalog or bibliography that I referenced. One such title I just cataloged is titled
אהבת הגרים : איינע וואודרבארע גשיכטע דעש ניקאלייער גר צדק ר' יוסף
printed in 1907 in Krashnov. I found no record of this printing and I found no record of the printer of this title printing any other works "בדפוס המשובח של י. ק. דייטשער נ"י מקראשנוב".

The book records the story of a certain Yosef who converted to Judaism in the 18th century, passed away in 1807 and was buried in the town of Nikolay. An 1816 publication published in Breslau first recorded the account of this convert, but I was able to find very little information on him outside of these publications.

While the Nazi's plans for the murder of Jews is common knowledge, their systematic attempt to destroy and plunder Jewish Libraries throughout Europe is well documented though less known. Every title as such that I can save and find a library to acquire gives me a minor pleasure at my little revenge at the Nazis.

Approx. 10% of the titles that I am cataloging from this era I find only 1 or no known copies in libraries. I estimated that for every book that just one copy remains, an equal amount have no remaining copies. Naturally, some books have thousands of existing copies and most titles are someone in between. This is not a perfect calculation but as best as I can come up with.

 The ones that I found over the years that were unrecorded run the gamut, but several factors raise the possibility that a title would be lost: private, limited runs, often printed via Mimeograph or other "crude" printing methods. Fiction seems to be much less likely to survive, particularly serialized publications that came out in pamphlets. Much of the popular Yiddish pulp fiction of the late 19th century is very rare and scarcely seen. Ladino literature printed in the Balkans and Greece, communities which were permanently decimated by the Nazis, I have found a surprising amount of Ladino that has not been recorded, despite much effort to save such things in recent years. Newspapers is another field, many small towns had brief stints of Yiddish or Hebrew papers, by nature these publications were disposable, and I suspect that many disappeared without a trace

A free-end Inscription of a Voyage to America from Merzig, Germany, 1866

The year was 1866, a brother and sister were embarking on a long and treacherous journey from their hometown, the small town of Merzig, in Germany. Their destination was the New World, to start a new life in the United States, as part of the increasing migration of German Jews over the Atlantic.

A record of their trip, I found in a miniature Hebrew-German Siddur which they brought with them on their voyage. On the free-ends of the small volume, I found a unique personal prayer for their safety on their journey written by the Chazan of their town of Merzig, Chaim Gershon Schnerb.

The Jewish Community of Merzig was a small but old German Jewish Community. The travelers, Mayer and his sister Miriam were from the Hanau family, a prominent family of the town, whose family members we find in the town for centuries. In his prayer, the Chazan C. G. Schnerb beseeches God, in the merit of the Sacrifice of Isaac, the prophecy of Samuel, Eliyahu and Elisha and the holiness of the tzadikim of all generations. The prayer requests that God protect them from the dangerous creatures of the sea, asks that the sea remain calm and that the sailors and captain of the ship do their work diligently and without laziness.

"JEWISH COPY" of PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION 1923 Die Protokolle - Rosenberg

 A library can often be a prism to view its owner's life, interests and convictions, and acquiring libraries daily can often lead to some interesting surprises. Did German Jews in the Nazi Era read Nazi Propaganda? Was it taboo for a Jew to own Anti-Semitic conspiracy publications? A library of a German Jew I recently acquired gave insights in to one man's approach to such things.

Aside from his owning several classic as well as obscure Anti-Semitic publications, I found in the collection, a copy of the notorious Anti-Semitic Propaganda: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This edition was in the German translation of Alfred Rosenberg, the head of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories and war criminal during the Nazi era.

Printed in 1923, while Hitler was still a relatively minor figure in Germany, Die Protokolle der Weisen von Zion und die jüdische Weltpolitik became an instant success and was reprinted numerous times through the Nazi Era.

Facing the title page of this copy, on the wrappers, we find an advertisement for an early Pro-Hitler book, Adolf Hitlers Ziele und Persönlichkeit (Adolf Hitler's goals and personality) by Johannes Stark.
This copy though found itself in rather unusual company, with a Jewish Ownership and bound by the former owner with 4 Rabbinical German Jewish publications. The books that were bound in include a book of Rabbinic Jewish Parables, a Defense of Shechitah, a Guide to Hebrew and a German translation of a Medrash, Lekach Tov.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/372723395651

A Case of a Woman and Two Husbands - 1943 postcard - Canarsie, Brooklyn

You know how rabbis like to remark in their sermons "If only you knew of the things I have to deal with"? Sometimes it is really true.
Inserted in to a book with ownership markings of Rabbi Dov Yehuda Daina, I found this postcard addressed to him sent in 1943
The postcard reads:

Dear Rabbi Diner,
Since you are the Rabbi in charge of the four synagogues in Canarsie, and you heard that Adele Rosenblum has a husband and children in Europe. She is now married to another man on 81st st, his name is Dr. Foyer. In my name please do not permit it.
yours truly,
Harry Rosenblum

Presumably, this Harry Rosenblum is a relative of her "first" husband.

Rabbi Daina was born in Slutsk, where his grandfather Reb Zundl Salant was chief judge over religious matters [for the local Jewish community]. Zundl Salant was a cousin of Reb Yosif Zundl Salant of Jerusalem, who was in turn the teacher of [the famous] Reb Yisroyl Salanter When his grandfather passed away, Dov Yehuda Daina replaced him as judge and religious authority. He was raised in Slutsk during the first eleven years of his life and in fact began studying at the Slutsk yeshiva [unusual for a boy so young].
In 1917 this judge and religious authority of Slutsk left for Harbin, Manchuria, where he remained until 1925.

From his arrival in America until his death in 1945 he lived in Canarsie [Brooklyn, N.Y.]. Rabbi Daina also brought his young son Mordkhe to Harbin, where the latter learned the Russian language fluently, at a gimnazye [government high school]. In 1925 he and his father came to America, where the son entered Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan [rabbinical seminary now part of Yeshiva University].
The young Rabbi Daina, upon ordination, became a rabbi in Syracuse, later in Brooklyn, until becoming a military chaplain in 1944.
Due to his knowledge of the Russian language, he was sent to Shanghai [a city of refuge for escapees from the Nazi invasion of Russia and of Eastern Europe in general]. There he was among the first American Jews to meet survivors from the European yeshivas.

Original Letter By The Haktav Vehakabbalah - Fascinating Insight in to the Motives for it's publication

A first edition of the Sefer Haktav Vehakabbalah, published in 1839 which I sold this week, came appended with an interesting letter written by the author, R. Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg to a recipient of the sefer, Rav Chaim, the Av Bet Din in Gutentag (Dobrodzien of today). In the letter, Rav Mecklenburg writes of his intent in publishing such a book and the intended audience and his hopes that it effects their attitudes and beliefs.
He writes how he is responding to so-called wise men of the day, who venture to speak badly about the authors of the Talmud, accusing the Amoraim of a lack of knowledge of proper Hebrew. His work was thus intended to counteract the reform movements authors, whose writings of Bible Criticism and attacks on Rabbinic Judaism were prevalent at the time. It is therefore not surprising, that alongside the Vilna Gaon and Shadal, we find the author referencing non-Rabbinic sources, such as that of Julius Fürst, Mendelsson and Naphtali Hirz Wessely. R. Mecklenburg requests the assistance of the recipient of his letter to spread the published work and help defend the faith.
He concludes the letter by mentioning that he is in the process of completing a second work on the Torah, which will supplement the Haktav Vehakabbalah and work in the same method. Unfortunately, this second work was never published.

Minyan LeBanot מנין לבנות a ca. 1960s Agudah Prayer-group for Women

Minyan LeBanot מנין לבנות
Is Agudah for or against women organizing their own Minyan?
Alongside some books I just acquired, was found this mimeographed poster from many decades ago, announcing a special Shachrit Minyan for young girls and high school girls on every Shabbat Mevarchim at the Crown Heights, Brooklyn, branch of Bnos.

ATTENTION!
BNOS MEMBERS
THE BAI IS SPONSORING
מנין לבנות 
EVERY שבת מברכים AT 9:30 AT THE
AGUDAH BUILDING
436 CROWN STREET (UPSTAIRS)
BET KINGSTON AVE & BROOKLYN AV
FOR 3rd GRADERS & UP
HIGH SCHOOL INCLUDED
REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED
HOPE TO SEE YOU א’ה
THIS שבת

hat-tip: Y. Strohe

Early 20th Century American Synagogue Constitutions - A Window Into Synagogue Life and Regulations of the Period.

In the era of minyan-factories and a flourishing of small synagogues at the expense of many of the large and established ones, a collection of Synagogue Constitutions I recently acquired provided a fascinating insight in to how synagogues were run in the early 20th century in the United States.

The collection comprises 60 different constitutions, each with it's own laws, customs and often very strict rules, mostly from the early 1900s in the New World. Membership in the synagogues were generally a strictly guarded privilege and not a right, and deviating members can expect to be fined or expelled for any wrong-doings. Many of the synagogues imposed fines for members who talked during davening, removed their Tallith before the completion of prayers or were habitually late. Many of the laws attempted to curtail assimilation and deter members from moving towards the Reformers, in a time when an individual's affiliations between the different Jewish movements was luid and often changing. A look at a sample of the by-laws found in these Constitutions sheds light on to the challenges and threats to Judaism in this period.

From the Constitution and by-laws of the Congregation Shearith Israel in the city of New York: " That all umbrellas and canes, excepting canes carried by lame persons, shall be left at the door and that all garments taken off shall be deposited in the free seats near the door, unless the owners thereof put them in their own seats". " That any person or persons leaving the synagogue shall retire in a quiet and orderly manner, and avoid going out together, or in bodies, and more particularly during the reading of the Torah and Hapthtorah, and that if any person or persons shall act contrary to this law, they and each of them shall be considered as having committed an offense and punished accordingly".

From the Constitution of the Congregation Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol of Washington Heights: "A member may be expelled for creating a disturbance in the synagogue or if convicted of a criminal offense." "No alterations that are conflicting with the laws as laid down in the Shulchan Orach shall be made in the daily prayers, ceremonies or customs as long as one member of this congregation shall oppose it".

From the Constitution and by-laws of Congregation Agudas Israel of Ridgewood, Brooklyn: "The Congregation is forever to be an Orthodox Congregation". "All books and business shall be conducted in the English Language although a member has the privilege of employing the Yiddish language when addressing members of the congregation". "In the case of the death of a member, the Congregation will provide a plot in our cemetery, a hearse with two carriages..".

From the Constitution of the New Kosintiner Young and Old Mens Benevolent and Aid Society : "A brother who does not attend a funeral and does not show just cause shall be fined $2.00" " A brother who falsely claims sick shall be subject to expulsion at the discretion of the members".

From the Constitution of Washington Heights Congregation adopted in 1914: ""None but Hebrews will be permitted to participate at services in the Choir of the Congregation". "Any member conducting himself at a meeting or during services in the synagogue in a disorderly manner, or who shall depart from the strict Orthodox Faith, may be expelled or suspended".

From the Constitution of the First Zablotower Cong. Beth Israel, the Oath for Newly Installed Officers reads: " I (first and family name), in the presence of all sisters and brethren of the First Zablotower Cong. Beth Israel fathered in this place, herewith promise to fulfill my duties as officer honestly and faithfully, whereupon I pledge my word of honor. Amen."

From the Constitution and By-Laws of the Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Boston, in 1913 : "Marriage contrary to the laws of the Jewish religion, renunciation of Judaism, or conduct injurious to the cause and welfare of our ancient faith and race shall be deemed ample grounds for expulsion from membership".

From the Constitution and By-Laws of the Sephardic Brotherhood of America organized 1915 "The President, the Vice President and the Secretary of the Brotherhood shall read, write and speak English and Spanish-Jewish". "English shall be the official language of the Central Council, but discussions in Spanish-Jewish shall be permitted to delegates. Official minutes shall be kept in English and Spanish Jewish".

Rhetoric from 1939 American Jewish German Newspapers

Cataloging a collection American Jewish German Newspapers from 1939, I was shocked at the striking similarities between the rhetoric of today's media and the news being published by Jews in 1939.
One such newspaper was named "Our Way in America" and it's motto was "The Immigrant of Today Is the Citizen of Tomorrow".
An article on "Aufblau" in July 1939 was titled "The Truth About Refugee Immigration".
A May 1939 article in The American Hebrew was titled "Heil America! a complete exposure of Bund Activity in the United States as Disclosed by the FBI Investigation."
Another article in the same issue is titled "Floating Concentration Camps" protesting the British blockade of Palestine refusing entree to escaping refugees from Germany.

I won't venture in to the heating discussion whether it is the situation that is repeating itself or if today's journalists are fear mongers and over-sensationalize, but the similar rhetoric is unavoidable.

Satire as a Form of Art: A Letter by David Ben-Gurion to Yohanan Bader

The death of letter-writing has also put to an end a favorite past-time, particularly in Israeli Politics, of politicians fighting a war of words in sharply worded correspondences sent via snail mail.

A letter I recently sold written by David Ben-Gurion to his nemesis, Yohanan Bader a Revisionist Zionist leader and Israeli politician is a great example of satire being used as a political tool.

 The letter loosely translates as follows:
STATE OF ISRAEL
PRIME MINISTER
JERUSALEM, 23 TEVET 5716
7 JANUARY 1956
TO KNESSET MEMBER YOHANAN BADER
RAMAT GAN
Much Peace,
There are among your members, people from whom nothing is to be withheld and in their empty speech, they are capable of achieving the most difficult assignments. Through their empty speech, they will bring peace to the world, if power is placed in their hand - even though they daily preach war, hatred and excommunication against countries that for some reason do not find favor in their eyes. They are capable of raining gold unto the streets if only power were transferred into their hands. However, for some reason, the country is not so stupid and is not ready to empower them if it's own accord,
Respectfully
D. Ben-Gurion
Prime Minister and Defense Minister
cc: Yosef Sprintzak
Knesset Chairman

a Selection of Famous Rabbinic Portraits and their Origins part III

This is a revised version of an article I originally published in the Jewish Press

Rabbinic portraits have been treasured by generations of Jews, for some,  as a way to remember someone they revered, for others, to be kept as amulets, or as a method to popularize his teachings. The Rabbis in the portraits themselves though, often objected to having their image taken and some took great lengths to prevent their dissemination. In some instances, the portraits were a method used by a publisher to promote the sales of the Rabbi's published work, at times reverting to creating an artist's rendition if no authentic portraits were available. Below is a look in to some portraits of famous Rabbis and their origins. 

Rabbi Raphael Hakohen of Hamburg 1722-1803

Portrait of R. Raphael Cohen from Chronik von Berlin

Rabbi Raphael ben Jekuthiel Susskind Cohen, was Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Communities of Altona-Hamburg-Wandsbek from 1775. During his lifetime, in 1789, a German newspaper, Chronik von Berlin published his portrait.

Portrait of R. Raphael Cohen from Ivah Lemoshav

In a book titled Ivah Lemoshav, first published in 1903, a very different portrait of his appears, alongside of a biography of his.

R. Aryeh Leib Ginsburg, the Sha'agat Aryeh (ca. 1695-1785)

There is one known portrait of the Sha'agat Aryeh, portraying him laying down with his eyes closed, it is uncertain if the portrait was made shortly before or shortly after his death. The portrait appears in Nathan Netter's Vingt Siècles d'Histoire d'une Communauté juive published in 1938, where the author writes how the image was obtained. Rabbi Yoel Leib Herzog, the father of Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog, served as Rabbi in Paris, where he met Louis Bloch, who was a sixth generation descendant of the Sha'agat Aryeh. Rabbi Herzog asked him if the family had any portrait of him, and to his surprise he was informed by Bloch that his sister owned an oil painting of the Shaagas Aryeh, executed while he lay on his deathbed! Rabbi Herzog paid to have a reproduction made, and this is the one that we have today.

R. David Oppenheim, Chief Rabbi of Prague (1664-1736)

A print published in the late 1700s, popularized the portrait of the Chief Rabbi of Prague, R. David Oppenheim. The portrait is an engraving by the Bohemian engraver Johann Balzer, who based it on an original by Johann Kleinhard (1738-1799), a premier artist in Prague. The portrait depicts Oppenheim looking through a stone window, with a torch over his shoulder.

Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657)

Portrait of Menasseh Ben Israel by Salom Italia

R. Menasseh ben Israel was a Rabbi, Kabbalist, writer, diplomat, printer and publisher in Amsterdam. His portrait was made by noted artist Salom Italia in 1642, and subsequently appeared as a frontispiece to printed works authored by R. Menasseh Ben Israel, including in the 1652 printing of his Nishmat Hayyim. For centuries, many believed that a portrait of a Rabbi drawn by Rembrandt depicted Menasseh Ben Israel. 

portrait by Rembrandt, thought to be of Menasseh Ben Israel

Though they both lived in Amsterdam in the same period, and may have known each other, scholars believe that the portrait is not of Menasseh Ben-Israel, despite the similarities. 

Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Leib Rapoport, known as Shir (1790-1867)

Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Leib Rapoport, often refereed to by his acronym Shir, was the son in-law of Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller, author of Ketzot Hachoshen and Avne Miluim. Shir served as Chief Rabbi of Prague from 1840 and his portrait is the work of Anotnín Machek (1775–1844), the leading Czech portrait painter of the first half of the 19th century. The portrait is now owned by the Jewish Museum, Prague.

Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir (1851 – 1925)

Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner was the founder of the Kerestirer Hasidic dynasty and served as Rabbi of the town of Kerestir. Reb Yeshayahle gained fame in his lifetime as a miracle worker and an exceedingly generous man who brought himself into debt to be able to support the needy. In the years since his passing, Reb Yeshayahle 's portrait has come to be attributed with the ability to ward off mice, and is commonly used in certain circles by affixing to a wall in an infested area. There are conflicting stories as to the origin of this belief, the more accepted version is the following: One of his disciples Shloime Engel had a mice infestation in his food warehouse. Consulting with R. Yeshayahle, The Rabbi quoted the Talmud noting that mice came as a punishment to those who did not tithe properly. When R. Yeshaya confirmed that indeed the tithe was being given properly, he formed a Bet Din and decreed that the mice had no case against Shloime Engel and committed his ruling to writing. The written ruling was affixed to the walls of his warehouse, putting an end to the infestation. 

R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai - The Chida (1724-1806)

The familiar portraits of the Chida we have today appear to be based on one singular painting of the Chida, drawn by an Italian artist in the late 18th century. The painting, a miniature, which is in full color was brought to Israel in 1960, alongside the body of the Chida, when it was brought for reburial in Har Hamenuchot in Jerusalem. 

R. Shabbatai HaKohen, the Shach (1621-1662) and the Magen Avraham, R. Abraham Abele Gombiner (1633-1683)

The Magen Avraham

The Shach

In the early 1900s, the Viennese artist Meir Kunstadt worked for the publishing house of Shlesinger-Sinai, which eventually made it's way to Tel Aviv. Kunstadt is credited with popularizing many of the Rabbinic portraits we have today, by creating illustrations for postcards, books and sukkah posters. Though they were intended as artist's renditions and not intended as authentic portraits, the portraits origins are at times forgotten and have been mistaken for the likeness of the Rabbis portrayed. One of Kunstadt's most popular drawings, was his series of postcards of famous Rabbis, including that of the Magen Avraham and the Shach, which have since been republished and today can be found in numerous variations.

R. Menahem Azariah da Fano, the Rema MiPano (1548-1620)

The Rema Mipano was an Italian Rabbi, Kabbalist and author of many sefarim. The one portrait that exists of him, was popularized in an article by David Kaufmann in Revue des études juives 1899. The portrait he printed is said to have come from Mantua, Italy and shows the Rema Mipano with a clean-cut beard, a subject which led to much to discussion. R. Shabbtai Baer in his sefer Be'er Esek published in Venice in 1674, writes that every Friday, the Rema MiPano would trim or shave his beard as was common in Italy at the time. R. Baer inferred from this custom, that Kabbalist teachings allow for the shaving of beards, a conclusion that was challenged shortly after. R. Yosef Ergas took R. Baer to task in Divre Yosef (Siman 25) published in 1742 and writes that the Rema MiPano did not shave his beard and bases his conclusion on a different portrait which he had seen. 

Salvaged from the Horrors of Kristallnacht: a Rodelheim 1853 edition of a Tikun for Shavuot

Pasted down in the back free-end of a Tikun for Shavuot printed in Rodelheim in 1853, I found the following haunting text:

התקון הלז מאב אמי מורתי זצק"ל נמצא אחר שריפת בית הכנסת באשפפנבורג טז מרחשון תשצ"ט לפ"ק אלמנת בנו הראשון ר אברהם בן ר שמעון שנקטף באותו היום נתן לי במתנה ביום מלאת לי ששים שנה יום ג כח מנחם אב תשי"ב לפ"ק משה בן ר יעקב הלוי

translating as: This Tikun owned by my mother's father ob"m, was found after the burning of the synagogue in Aschaffenburg (Germany) on the 16th of the month of Heshvan 5699 (corresponds to 9–10 November 1938, Kristallnacht)

The widow of my grandfather's eldest son, who was murdered on that day, gifted it to me on my 60th birthday, the third of Av 5712 (1952), Moshe ben R. Yaakov Halevi.

An 18th century Manuscript Plea of a woman in childbirth

Tucked in an 18th century large prayerbook, I found an 18th century manuscript page, containing a handwritten prayer written by a woman in labor. Written as a personal prayer in the first person, the prayer comes off as an impromptu, unscripted and desperate plea of a woman who may have been unlearned but a firm believer and sincere in her prayer. The text of the prayer, though riddled with grammatical irregularities and an odd mix of verses and pleas, gives the impression of a woman in a troubling situation combining all the prayers and related verses and phrases that were familiar to her in to one long heartfelt plea.

The prayer loosely translates as:
Our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, have mercy on the daughters of Israel who are in labor, and among them so and so, ad I hereby beg and plea before you, thou compassionate and merciful, as your compassion is great. It is in your hand God, who controls life, and do not reply via a messenger. May you recall your compassion and kindness G-d who desires life, to attend to me with compassion, and I shall give birth easily to ten healthy children who shall come forth from above via the Good Forces. May it be fulfilled in me, the verse that was said by King David of blessed memory, "Out of my straits I called upon the Lord; He answered me with great enlargement." "God is with me and I shall not fear". The one who heard the prayer of David, King of Israel shall head my prayer and in the merit of my fathers and mothers, being the one who responded to the prayers of our holy ancestors.

A Pre-WWII Mussolini Biography – In Hebrew

Throughout history, Rabbinical community leaders were often faced with situations where they had to choose between appeasing a local ruler or politician or fighting for their rights and Jewish values. A fascinating publication I recently acquired reflects one such scenario, being a Hebrew biography of Arnaldo Mussolini by his brother Benito Mussolini, translated to Hebrew by Rav Gustavo Menachem Calò, a Rabbi in Mantua, Italy. More than just a biography, the book is interwoven with Italian politics and propaganda from the dictators perspective.

Benito Mussolini was the fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. Mussolini had a brother, Arnaldo, who became one of the most important developers of the original fascist Idea. Arnaldo Mussolini (1885 – 1931) was an Italian journalist and politician who used his newspaper and journalistic skills in promoting fascism and his brother's career.
At the time of this publication Benito Mussolini was considered benevolent towards the Jews but once his partnership with the Nazis was confirmed in 1939, he adopted the racial policies that eventually caused persecution of the Jews. When Germany occupied Italy during the war, Italy's Jews were deported to concentration camps.

Vowels Above And Below – A 16th Century Yemenite Manuscript

A 16th century Yemenite Manuscript of the Haphtarot that recently went through my hands  in is an excellent example demonstrating the different traditions regarding Nikud or vowelization of Hebrew texts that were evolving in Yemen at the time. The text of the Haphtrarot in this manuscript, is broken up verse by verse, alternating between the Hebrew and the Targum translation to Aramaic. The Hebrew text, being the Pesukim of Neviim, have the vowels below the text, similar to the way Hebrew is voweled today. The Targum though, has the vowels above the text, in what is known as the Babylonian vocalization.

The Babylonian vocalization was created between the 6th and 7th centuries, and was in use widely for several centuries. Over time, the use of vowels beneath the words, known as the Tiberian vocalization gained in popularity, with the use of the vowels above the words being found only in Yemen.
In this manuscript from the 1500s, we find a combination of the two, most likely due to the Neviim portion being copied from the text of the Ben-Asher tradition, which used the Tiberian vocalization, while the Targum used the traditional Yemenite text, thus using the vowelization above the words, which was still popular in Yemen at the time

The Chasam Sofer and Moses Mendelssohn - An Interesting Ancedote

Just came across an interesting story as I was cataloging a book, relating to the Chatam Sofer and Moses Mendelssohn's Beur, which I don't recall seeing elsewhere. In Chatam Sofer Vetalmidav החתם סופר ותלמידיו : יחסם לארץ ישראל / מאת שמואל הכהן וינגרטן
on page 11 appears an anecdote, quoted in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Hirsch Yaavetz Halevi
"פעם אחת בחג הסוכות ואיש מפולנא היה לתפלה בביהמ"ד של החת"ס ובליל שמחת תורה רקד בינינו ובשמחתו עלה הבימה והתחיל לשיר בקול נעים את המזמור אודה לה בכל לבב והיה קורא ומזמר הפסוק ככתיבתו ועל התרגום הגרמני מרמ"ד ובשמעו התלמידים, רצו לפגוע באיש ההוא ולהורידו, וגער החת"ס בהם ויהס אותם והקשיב בהקשבה והאזנה לזמר האורח מרישא עד גמירא והזמין אותו אח"כ לשולחנו"

translating as "Once, during the holiday of Sukkot, a visitor from Poland came for prayers at the Chatam Sofer's Bet medrash, and in the evening of Simhat Torah, he danced between us. In his merriment, he went above the bimah and started to sing in a pleasant voice, the Psalm Odeh LaHashem.. and he was reading the verses in Hebrew followed by the German Translation of Moses Mendelssohn. When the students heard this, they wanted to harm the man and remove him, but the Chatam Sofer reprimanded them and quieted them and listened carefully to the singing of the guest from through the end. He then invited the man over to eat at his table"

"What is the matter with the young people of to-day?" The 1943 Shanghai Version

"What is the matter with the young people of to-day? Is it true that they are worse than their parents were in their young days?" With these resonating sentences begins an issue of a Jewish Newspaper published in Shanghai in 1941 which I just got in. Published with Yiddish and English sections, the title of the Newspaper is The Word, or Dos Vort, "A Jewish weekly for the Religious Revival in the Far East", which appeared as a weekly for a few short weeks in 1941 before disbanding.

Reading through the current news that interested refugee Jews in Shanghai during the Holocaust, gives fascinating insight in to what life was like for the local Jewish Community, which consisted of a sampling of much of World Jewry. which suddenly found itself huddling together outside of Hitler's grasp. Some of the articles are by local authors and others are taken from publications around the world that would interest the newspaper's readers. Alongside news of the happenings in Palestine and the Warsaw Ghetto, we find notices of farewell to a local who made it safely to Israel, of a local Oneg Shabbas Mesibah that was taking place, an ad offering assistance to those interested in making their way to Israel and advertisements of local Jewish-owned businesses. The opening article in the English section of the paper is of Rabbi Dr Victor Schonfeld on the issues of Modern Youth, followed by a biography of Rashi.
In the newspaper, we find an article by Rabbi Simcha Elberg, under his pen-name A. Simhoni, less than two months after his arrival in Shanghai, following 2 years on the run through Russia, Japan and China. It is inspiring to see how the local Jews attempted to continue life as normal as possible, and kept their faith and spiritual needs throughout this harrowing time.