From Rhodes to Rhodesia, Weddings, Freemasons and Synagogue Services

 Mention of a Jewish Wedding or prayers at a synagogue can conjure many different memories, though 2 different booklets I came across this week are from a distant land in what feels like a different world, a setting likely to never repeat itself. These 2 publications were published in 1958 and 1963 by the Sha'are Shalom Synagogue in Salisbury, Rhodesia, the colonial names for the current Harare, Zimbabwe. Salisbury found itself home to an unlikely group of immigrant Jews in this period, with a steady but small stream of immigration occurring from the small but ancient Jewish Community of the Isle of Rhodes.

In the 1930s, with Rhodes belonging to Italy since 1912 and the decision of Benito Mussolini to align with Hitler, antisemitism was rising and ever-present and there was a steady flow of the Jews to outside of Rhodes. While many Jews from Rhodes made their way to Western United States and elsewhere, a small group found refuge in Rhodesia, founded a congregation by 1931 and by June 1st, 1958, they consecrated a new building for use as a synagogue by the Jews from Rhodes, named Sha'are Shalom.

The first publication I acquired is a wedding service which took place in the Sha'are Shalom synagogue, less than 3 months after its consecration. The ceremony was led by the local Rabbis, Rabbi Dr Manfred Papo (formerly of Vienna) and Rev. Rabbi Samuel Rodrigues-Pereira, the latter's father being the Rabbi at Montefiore Synagogue in Ramsgate Kent. The pamphlet includes the entire wedding ceremony, including the reading of the Ketubah, Birkat Kohanim and Sheva Berachot following their traditional customs, alongside English translation throughout.

The Second publication is a curious Service, of the Provincial Grand Lodge of S. Rhodesia at the synagogue. As was common in times bygone, many Jews were members of local masonic lodges, which were generally of the few organizations where antisemitism didn't preclude a Jew from becoming a member. The order of service described includes an interesting procession, and alternating songs between members of the lodge and members of the synagogue assisted by the Choir of the Synagogue. Prayers for the Dutch and English Royal Families were made, the Torah was read, a sermon was given by the Rabbi, Rabbi Manfred Papo, and the service concluded with the recitation of God Save The Queen.

1907 - Plan your move to Galveston, Texas

 When one thinks of the throngs of Jewish immigrants arriving in the United States in the early 1900s, images of the Statue of Liberty and pushcarts on the Lower East Side generally come to mind. While New York clearly attracted the largest portion of the arriving Jews, there was a concerted effort by several Jewish Organizations over the years to divert the flow from the horrid conditions, poverty and crime, often found in the Lower East Side tenements to other cities and states further West.

One such short lived movement, that achieved a level of success, was known as the Galveston Movement, a plan by several Jewish organizations to divert immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe and Russia to Galveston, Texas. Between 1907-1914, ten thousand Jewish Immigrants went through the entry port in Galveston, at a time when the entire population of Galveston was 37,000 people and the entire state was home to less than 400,000 people. The New York businessman and philanthropist Jacob Schiff was a leading figure behind this idea, and he supported it with nearly $500,000 in donations (Approx. $13 million in today's terms). The Jewish Territorialist Organization, established in 1901 by the United Hebrew Charities of New York, the B'nai B'rith and the Baron de Hirsch Fund coordinated the efforts and assisted travelers all along the journey from Eastern Europe as well as helping them settle once they arrived in Texas. A Local Rabbi in Galveston, Rabbi Henry Cohen would welcome each ship that would arrive at the port and was instrumental in helping the new arrivals find housing and employment.

Many of these immigrants who found their way to Galveston continued on to the numerous small towns and outposts in the area and founded stores or peddled their goods. Not everyone though shared Schiff's belief in this mission. Particularly in Texas, many of the established Jews feared that the many new immigrants will harm their livelihood by intense competition. In addition, the various organizations involved had disagreements regarding the immigration methods. Coupled with the outbreak of WWI and the resulting slow of immigration to the US, this put an end to the Galveston Movement.

A book I got in recently serves as a reminder of these tumultuous times, when mass immigration caused the World Jewish Immigration to tip from East to West. in Yiddish, titled hoypt yedies vegn emigratsye in galveston (shtot teksas), it contains relevant information and promotional material about the opportunities and success that can be found by moving to Galveston. Published in Zhitomir, Ukraine in 1907, it gave the reader all the information necessary to plan the move, from filing the paperwork, planning the voyage and opportunities that awaited upon your arrival.

The Censoring of Censorship - 1864 Talmud Advertisement

 Censorship in Hebrew Books in the 19th century was rather commonplace, with the offending reasons causing a text to be removed varying greatly.

Hamagid was the first Hebrew language weekly newspaper, appearing from 1856 to 1903. Though published in East Prussia (Germany), it's intended readership was Russian and Eastern-European Jews. In an 1864 Issue of the Hebrew Newspaper Hamagid I just acquired, I found an interesting case of censorship, removing a portion of a text. The text that was removed had a strip of tar placed over the words, completely obliterating the text, a practice associated with the Russian Censors. The offending text was part of an advertisement for a new Talmud edition, which stated that this edition was approved by the censors of Russian/Poland. Apparently it was offending to the censors to approve a text that states that they approved the text, so they had the related paragraph removed.

The Rabbiner-Seminar zu Berlin's library under Nazi Rule

 Within an archive of a noted American Rabbi I recently acquired, one letter I found stood out to me, shedding light on life under the Nazis several years before the world the horrors of the Holocaust were unleashed. Written in May of 1936, the letter was sent from the famed Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin to Rabbi Ben Zion Eisenstadt in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. The writer of the letter, Azriel Hildesheimer, presumably a grandson of the founder Rabbi Dr. Israel Hildesheimer, requests that Rabbi Eisenstadt gift a copy of his recent publication Kol Bechi published in New York in 1935 to the Yeshiva so that the students can benefit and learn from the sefer.

The writer of the letter described the dire situation of the Yeshiva, which precludes them from spending any money on acquiring books for their library. This forced them to request from publishing authors, that they send their books to the library as a donation.

The Rabbiner-Seminar zu Berlin was founded and led by Rabbi Dr. Israel Hildesheimer in 1873, and under his leadership and his successors, R. David Zvi Hoffman. R. Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan and R. Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg the Yeshiva produced the majority of the Orthodox Rabbinate in Germany thru the Nazi Era. Due to increasing anti-semitism, and oppression by the Nazis, the Yeshiva closed its doors in 1938.

A broadslide recording an American Agun, New York, 1925

 Tucked in an early American Responsa Sefer I acquired recently, was a one page printed document from 1925 that tells a fascinating tale. While stories of Agunot are unfortunately not unheard of, and a vast literature surrounding the subject exists, tales of Agunim, males who are chained to a marriage are seldom discussed or heard of in Rabbinic Literature.

This document was a Psak Din from a Bet Din in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, under the leadership of R. Moses Benjamin Tomashoff (d. 1960). Originally from Slutzk, Tomashoff later arrived in Brownsville (then nicknamed the Jerusalem of America), was an active member of the Agudath Harabonim and editor of the Rabbinic Journal Yagdil Torah.

The case they were discussing was in regards to a certain woman who was declared insane 13 years prior and was under the care of Central Islip Psychiatric Center, of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the New York area, which reached a peak of 10,000 patients in 1955 before it finally closed its doors in 1996. Being that she was not capable of receiving a get due to her medical state, her husband was left alone, with their children, unable to marry and struggling to support and care for the children. Interestingly, the Bet Din notes that he had no daughters, only boys, which would make it much harder for him to take care of the children, as there were no daughters to assist.

The Bet Din found a halakhic basis to allow him to remarry, on condition that an addition 97 rabbis sign to agree to this opinion of theirs, and that the husband commits to pay and care for his first wife's medical needs perpetually. The Bet Din mentions in their stipulation that they confirmed and conferred the options with a lawyer to arrange for the first wife's needs, and that in addition, he was required to first obtain a legal civil divorce before marrying a second wife. Presumably, this document was sent to additional rabbis that would then sign and agree to the psak, and once he obtained 100 signatures it was thus allow him to marry.

"My father, a great Rabbi", Imre Shalom (St Louis, 1943)

 "My father, a great Rabbi"

Great European Rabbis and their American children:

The author of Imre Shalom (St Louis, 1943), Rabbi Mordechai Leib Charney, a graduate of the Volozhin Yeshiva, received Semicha from the Netziv and served as Rabbi in Europe in several locals. Financial constraints forced him to immigrate to the United States, where he arrived in 1902, he served as Rabbi in Port Chester, NY for 29 years until his death in 1931.

He left 5 boys and 5 girls of which one of them, Sam Schwartz of Charlotte NC published posthumously this work. The greatness of the author can be seen by his correspondence in the sefer with the Oneg Yom Tov, Rav Chaim Berlin and other great Rabbis of the day. Alas, the generational gap between him and his children appears to be insurmountable. The tribute written to their father in the book, though loving and respectful, gives off the impression akin to someone viewing the pyramids with a telescope from a great distance.

"This book is published for those who care to study the deep meaning of the Jewish Law. It was written by my father, a great Rabbi. His life and the memory of his teachings, have always been a source of inspiration to me. Perhaps someone else will find inspiration and comfort in the knowledge set forth herein. If so, his life has been fruitful.

I am not just a dreamer, or a scholar. I am very much a realist - my only two sons are now in the army fighting for their country, but I am aware that dreams are still possible and dreamers do exist. And above the clouds of war, I dream that the sun is fighting to shine through and scholars will lay aside their guns and think and dream again.

It is my hope that this book will furnish much food for their thoughts and dreams.

Sam Schwartz"

A 1937 Tanya - A Chabad Shliach and The acceptance of Israel to the United Nations

 On the free-end of a Vilna 1937 edition of the Tanya, I found a Hebrew inscription by Yitzchak Dovid Wein, an emissary of the former Lubavitcher Rebbe.

ב"ה י"ב אייר תש"ט נוייארק

בקרתי אז את יונייטאד ניישאנס בפרעש מאדא לאנג איילינד

וישראל נתקבל בתור חבר ליונייטעד ניישאנס

יצחק דוד ויין

translating as

the 12th of Iyar, 5709, New York

I visited the United Nations in Fresh Meadows, Long Island, and Israel was accepted as a member of the United Nations

Yitzchok Dovid Wein

R. Wein is mentioned several times in the Sichos of the previous Rebbe, was he perhaps acting as a representative of the Lubavicher Rebbe in urging for Israel's acceptance? The date corresponds to the date May 11, 1949, the day that Israel was accepted to the UN and during this period, the UN was residing in Queens, NY, awaiting relocation to their new quarters in Manhattan. The Rebbe's relationship with Zalman Shazar is well known, was the Rebbe involved in the efforts for Israel's acceptance to the UN?

Female Pre-subscribers to a Hasidic Work? 1933 Lev Aryeh

 Female Pre-subscribers to a Hasidic Work? 1933 Lev Aryeh

In 1933, the Novominsker Rebbe published the first edition of his Lev Aryeh, 11 years after his arrival in the United States. At the end of the volume appears a list of prenumeranten or pre-subscribers who paid in advance for a copy of the book. While the use of prenumeranten to fund a book was widespread in this period, this volume contains two separate lists. The first is the expected male pre-subscribers, the second list, separated from the first, details 30 names of women who purchased a copy of this book in advance. The names contained appear to be of American Jews, the author residing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the time of publication.

Between the list of names appears one that appears to be a child, הילדה חנה פרידא בת שרה

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