Inscribed and Sealed Inscribed and Sealed

32 Saint George Street London W1S 2EA Tel: +44 20 7493 0876 [email protected] shapero.com Contents

03 Jewish thought and aesthetics

25 Jewish traditions

33 Jewish cooking

43 Zionism

55 Prayer-books and Bibles

Jewish thought and aesthetiCs 1. CinQaRBRes, Jean. De re Grammatica Hebraeorum opus, in gratiam studiosorum linguae sanctae methodo quam facilima conscriptum, Authore Iohanne Quinquarboreo, Aurilacensi. [Hebrew Grammar]. Martin Le Jeune, Paris, 1549.

Second edition (first published in 1546) of the popular Hebrew grammar book, dedicated to the Venetian Jew Paolo Paradisi. Jean Cinqarbres (Latin name: Johannes Quinquarboreus, 1514-1587) was a French grammarian of Hebrew and was considered one of the foremost linguists of the 16th century, famous for his extensive knowledge of Hebrew grammar and syntax. He had occupied the chair of Hebrew and Syriac languages at the College de France until his death.

The distinctive printer’s woodcut device on the title page of the work (see Renouard, P. Marques 828, p.264-265) first belonged to Conrad Nòbar, then passed to Jaques Bogard and later to Martin Le Jeune, but this size is not shown under this bibliographical entry.

Second edition. 4to, (22.5 x 17 cm); 182, [2] pp., text in Latin and Hebrew. Marginal tears to first two leaves. Ownership signatures to title page and many marginal notes to test in Latin in old brown ink. Late half-marbled blue boards, corners rubbed.

Price: £1,250 [ref: 97221]

4 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 5 the f i R s t i l lu s tRat ed Book p R i nt ed i n he B R ew 2. iBn shahula, is aaC . Meshal Ha-Kadmoni. [The Primeval Fable]. Meir Parenzo, Venice, [1546-1547].

Illustrated collection of moral fables and animal stories by Isaac ben Solomon ibn Abi Sahula, in rhyming prose interspersed with verse. Ibn Sahula, who was both a scholar and a physician, was born in 1244 in Guadalajara (Castile) and was a wanderer for much of his life. He was a student under the Kabbalist R. Moses of Bugros, and wrote secular poetry until around 1281, when his outlook changed. It was then that he began to write Meshal Ha-Kadmoni.

Ibn Sahula writes that his material is original but based on the Talmud and Midrashim, and that in style he has followed the example of the prophets who presented moral lessons in allegorical form. He also sets out to demonstrate that Hebrew is as suitable a vehicle for conveying moral lessons as Arabic. The stories show both Kabbalistic and Indian influences.

The use of animal characters is not typical in Jewish writing, but Ibn Sahula employs this device in order to deliver the tale’s moral in the clearest way possible. While animals in Christian fables were usually characterised by a single dominant characteristic (the cowardly rabbit, the cunning fox), Ibn Sahula gave the animals in his fables complex characters and highly specific religious tendencies: the birds pray in a ‘minyan’ in a synagogue; the deer prays three times a day; and the lion dreams of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Some eighty woodcut illustrations grace the 64 leaves of this book, with one or two captioned woodcuts to a page. Though the illustrations resemble those of incunabula editions, Meir Parenzo, the printer of this edition, commissioned an entire new series of woodcuts providing more detail and artistic sophistication. The illustrations were prepared by three different hands.

The first edition of this work was printed circa 1491 in Brescia by the Soncino family printers, with different illustrations.

Second edition. Small 4to, (18 x 12 cm); 64 ll., printer’s device on title, 80 woodcut illustrations; some soiling and staining, including dampstaining at margins, owners’ notes on title page and verso, a few marginal tears, most repaired, fore-edge final leaf chipped. Modern brown calf, blind fillet and corner devices, spine gilt tooled and lettered. Vinograd, Venice 319; A.M. Habermann, Kiryat Sefer vol. XXIX pp. 199-203; Amram, pp. 367-71; Roth, Jewish Art, cols. 476-77; Heller, The Sixteenth cent. Hebrew book, Vol.1, pp. 332-333.

Price: £37,500 [ref: 95122]

6 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 7 8 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 9 one of the gR e at e s t e aR ly s C i ent i f i C he B R ew Book s 3. delMedigo, Jos e ph soloMon of CR e t e . Sefer Ma’ayan Ganim; Sefer Ilem. Menashe ben Israel, Amsterdam, 1628-29.

‘The most sumptuously illustrated of early scientific works in Hebrew, and unique in printed Hebrew literature before the modern period.’ (National Library of Canada Catalogue, The Jacob H. Lowy Collection, 1981, no. 80).

Profusely illustrated work on mathematics, geometry, astronomy, physics, medicine, Kabbalah and metaphysics. The work consists of five books: Sefer Ma’ayan Ganim, Sefer Chukat Shamayim, Sefer Gvurot Hashem, Sefer Ma’ayan Chatum and Sefer Ilem. Ma’ayan Ganim (Fountain of Gardens) - contains complicated geometrical studies. Chukat Shamayim (Laws of the Skies) - contains astronomical and some geographical studies. Gvurot Hashem (Might of God) - contains more astronomy, as well as some mechanical physics. Ma’ayan Chatum (Sealed Fountain) - more mathematics and physics, Delmedigo refers to Euclid in the beginning of the book, and even describes the acoustics of a string instrument at some point. In this book Delmedigo also describes a liquid-in-glass thermometer with a scale, which was officially invented only decades later, in the 1650s, by Ferdinand II the grand Duke of Tuscany. Sefer Ilem (The book of Gods), which is bound as the first book in some copies, is a philosophical questions and answers book. The book became suspect in the eyes of the elders of the Sephardi community when it first came to light and a committee was formed to investigate the matter. The book had to be translated orally to Portuguese and Menashe Ben Israel, a prominent Portuguese Rabbi and publisher of the work, had to sign that certain portions of the work would not be published.

Joseph Solomon Demedigo (aka YaShaR = Yosef Shlomo Rophe of Candia, 1591-1655) was born in Crete (Candia) and had travelled extensively throughout his lifetime, living in Cairo, Constantinople, Vilna, Lublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Venice and was buried in the old Jewish cemetery of Prague. He studied at the University of Padua under Gallileo. He met Leone Modena in Venice and was strongly influenced by him. He’d served as court physician to Prince Radziwill of Poland. For more about Delmedigo see I. Barzilay, Yoseph Shlomo Delmedigo (Yashar of Candia): His Life, Works and Times (Leiden, 1974); A. Neher, Jewish Thought and the Scientific Revolution of the Sixteenth Century (1986), pp.251-252; H. Friedenwald, Jewish Luminaries in Medical History - Catalogue (1946), p.111.

The frontispiece portrait of Delmedigo was engraved by W. Delff after a painting by C. Duyster.

First edition. 4to, (20 x 15.5 cm), [8], 190, 80, [2], 83 pp.; wide margined copy. Five parts in one, two titles. Engraved frontispiece portrait of the author with marginal repairs supplied. With the scarce additional introductory leaf in Latin. Numerous illustrations to text. Censor’s inscription in Russian to last page, dated September 21, 1837, stamped by the Russian state appointed Rabbi. Ownership inscription in different hand reads ‘Leiba Tanks...ovitch’. Marginal tear to one page without loss of text, first t itle page professionally remargined; few light stains. Modern vellum with morocco label to spine and twin silk ties, housed in a matching cardboard slipcase. Vinograd, Amsterdam 20; Fuks, Amsterdam 150-1; Silva Rosa 6; Heller, The Seventeenth Century Hebrew Book, Vol. I, 470-471 pp.

Price: £15,000 [ref: 97083]

10 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 11 12 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 13 4. pRiestley, Joseph. Letters to the Jews; Inviting them to an Amicable Discussion of the Evidences of Christianity, second edition; [WITH:] Letters to the Jews. Part II. Occasioned by Dr. David Levi’s Reply... [WITH:] LEVI, David. Letters to Dr. Priestly [sic], in Answer to those he Addressed to the Jews, second edition; [WITH:] Letters to Dr. Priestley, in Answer to His Letters to the Jews, Part. II [etc.]. I and II. Birmingham, for the author, by Pearson and Rollason, and London, Johnson, 1787; III and IV. London, for the author, Johnson, Walker and Parsons, 1787 and 1789. 1787 and 1789. uncommon volume that contains both parts of priestley’s letters and levi’s replies.

By featuring both men’s letters, this very nice copy enables us to follow the theological debate that took place between Joseph Priestly and David Levi at the end of the 18th century. In 1786, Joseph Priestley published his Letter to the Jews, which urged them to convert to Anglicanism. According to him, Judaism and Christianity were so close that both religions could be united. Hence his suggestion that the Jews convert to Christianity while preserving some of their own traditions, like the Shabbat. Levi, on the other hand, responded to Priestley by advocating for the independence of the Jewish faith. His replies led to many arguments with Christian scholars and entailed a new series of letters written by Priestley and included in the present book. The latter also features several of the other letters that Levi wrote to the Christian divines who had criticised his response to Priestley.

Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was an English clergyman, political theorist, and physical scientist whose work contributed to advances in liberal political and religious thought and in experimental chemistry. He is best remembered for his contribution to the chemistry of gases, being credited by some for the discovery of oxygen. His support for the French Revolution was very controversial, and he eventually had to flee to the United States.

David Levi (1742– 1801) was an English-Jewish writer, Hebraist, translator, and poet. Levi was born to a poor immigrant family. Self-educated, he wanted to provide both Jews and Christians with basic material about Judaism in English. Hence his various works explaining Judaism (e.g. A Succinct Account of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews [1782]), his translation of Jewish prayer books, and his guide to the Hebrew language. His six-volume English translation of the liturgy served as the foundation for later editions published in England and in the United States.

James Whatman (1702–1759) was an English papermaker and inventor of wove paper. His son, known as James Whatman II or James Whatman the Younger (1741–1798), was also a papermaker who began putting together a personal library at his home, Vinters in Kent. The present book most probably belonged to him.

Provenance: James Whatman (bookplate); Selbourne Library (ink stamp).

Octavo, (19.8 x 12.5 cm); 4 works in 1 volume, first work without publisher’s catalogue at end, one advertisement trimmed with slight loss, nineteenth century mottled half calf, spine gilt with red morocco labels.

Price: £2,500 [ref: 91943]

14 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 15 5. stassoff [stasoV], VladiMiR and gunZBuRg [ginZBuRg], daVid. L’Ornement Hebreu. [Ornamentation des anciens manuscrits hebreux de la Bibliotheque Imperiale Publique de St. Petersburg]. S. Calvary & Co., Berlin, 1905. a magnificent album of hebrew ornaments, based on 13th-century hebrew-spanish biblical manuscripts from the firkovich collection of the imperial public library of saint petersburg.

Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov (1824-1906) of Saint Petersburg, was a prominent Russian critic and publicist, son of Russian architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov (1769–1848). Graduate of the School of Jurisprudence, he was admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1859, and was made honorary fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1900, together with his friend Leo Tolstoy.

Stasov wrote a lot about Jewish art and took active part in discussing the building and decorating of the Saint Petersburg synagogue. He also served as the Head of Art and Technologies department of the public library and from 1856 Stasov worked on compiling and publishing his album of ‘Slavic and Oriental Ornamentation in the manuscripts of the Ancient and Modern times’. For this publication Stasov studied extensively the manuscripts archive of the library and even manually copied some of them.

David Goratsievich Ginzburg (1857-1910) was an orientalist-semitologist, bibliophile and a member of a prominent family of financiers. Based on survived correspondence, Stasov approached him in 1883 and offered him to publish the offered work, based mostly on the Hebrew manuscripts Firkovich collection of the library, with some additions from other collections of Hebrew manuscripts held in London and Paris libraries. The copies of the manuscripts were created by I. Ia. Ginzburg, who later went to become a famous sculptor, and draughtsmen V. A. Bogdanov and N. V. Nechaev. The ambitious work took more than a decade to complete.

Folio, (57 x 46 cm); 27 gold-enhanced chromolithographic plates, including engraved title ([title], I-VII, VII*, VIII-XXII, A-C); 13 pp., letterpress booklet tipped in. Plates darkened at edges, but images generally clean and attractive, ink stamp to dedication page, preliminary blank torn with loss at lower corner. Contemporary morocco-backed marbled boards, gilt-lettered spine, joints and extremities rubbed; with 4to French text booklet pasted to fourth blank page (printed in Leipzig, 1919). O. Vasilieva, The Stasov-Ginzburg Album and Antokol’skii’s Megilla, Manuscripta Orientalia, Vol. 12 No. 4 December 2006. (A copy supplied with the book).

Price: £7,500 [ref: 96269]

16 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 17 aRthuR sZyk MasteRpieCe 6. sZyk, aRthuR. Le Statut de Kalisz. [The Statute of Kalisz]. Table Ronde, Paris, [1932].

Fine example of this scarce work, published in a limited edition of 500 copies.

Considered to be one of Szyk’s greatest creations, The Statute of Kalisz explores a significant event in Polish history in which Jews were granted civil and religious privileges commencing in the 13th century. In this work Szyk also emphasised the contributions which Jews had made to Polish society and the mutual and beneficial relationship which existed between Poles and Jews for centuries.

This work must be viewed in context of Szyk’s lifelong efforts to combat prejudice, especially anti-Semitism, through his art as well as through direct political activism. The context of the May 1924 coup in Poland should also be considered. Szyk believed that Joseph Pilsudski, the coup’s leader, was Poland’s only hope for true democracy, whilst the current government would often officially sanction anti-Semitism. Szyk chose The Statute of Kalisz as his subject, as this was a historical precedent for fair treatment of Jews by the Polish government. The work shows scenes demonstrating mutually beneficial cooperation between Poles and Jews spreading over a period of nine centuries.

This project was the first time Szyk acted simultaneously as scribe, calligrapher and illustrator. Szyk often looked to medieval illuminated manuscripts for inspiration for his dense colourful imagery. The work includes elaborately illustrated translations of the original Latin text of the laws to French, Polish, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Italian and Spanish - each on separate page.

This particular copy is somewhat anomalous, at least when compared to the few copies that have come up at auction: there are two duplicated colour sheets (20 & 28) and one colour sheet, commencing ‘Jus Polonicum Jura Judaeis...’ is absent here; neither the printed nomination or limitation leaf have been bound in, and all the colour sheets have been mounted onto stubs and sewn into the publisher’s original binding, rather than loose as normally presented.

Folio, (38 x 32 cm). Text in French, Polish, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Italian and Spanish. 46 full-colour facsimile leaves only, of with 2 are duplicates (see note above), heightened in silver & gold, each printed on one side of toned sheets; lacking the printed nomination and limitation ff.; original burgundy morocco with publisher’s gilt and embossed medallion on front cover.

Price: £25,000 [ref: 94915]

18 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 19 20 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 21 a ColleCtion of nine oRiginal photogRaphs By RoMan VishniaC Rabbi Yehiel Chaim Wagshal, assistant to Rabbi Baruch Rabinowitz, Mukachevo, 7. VishniaC, RoMan. Czechoslovakia. Circa 1935-1938. 7.3 x 10.4 cm. Nine photographs of Jewish Life. Wilno Rabbi Chaym Grodzenski (under umbrella) and disciples at his summer 1935-1938. residence in Iwje, Wilno. Circa 1935-1938. 7 x 10.3 cm.

The collection includes the following works: Roman Vishniac (1897–1990) was a Russian-American Jewish photographer, best known for capturing on film the culture of Jews in Central and Eastern Europe An elder of the village, Vysni Apsa. Circa 1938. 6.3 x 8.3 cm. before the Holocaust. He is considered to be one of the most prominent photographers This iconic photo was included in the book A Vanished World, New York, Farrar, 1983, to document the Jewish way life in Eastern Europe of the first half of 20th century. plate 3 with the following caption: ‘It was in 1938, but it was by burning branches A major archive of his work now rests at the International Centre of Photography. and logs that the inhabitants of Vysni Apsa produced heat and light. I remember very well Vishniac was also an accomplished biologist, an art collector and teacher of art history, the light of the fire illuminating the hands and face of this village elder, whose advice was who became a Zionist in later life. requested by members of his community. How much this man seemed to be wise and Nine vintage silver prints, housed in a custom made rust morocco album with gilt lettering, comforting.’ (A Vanished World / Roman Vishniac; with a foreword by Elie Wiesel, (19 x 26 cm). New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983, plate 3). This photo was also the cover im- The Vanished World Portfolio (Twelve Photographs), 1936-38; NY, 1977. age of the publication: The Vanished World Portfolio (Twelve Photographs), 1936-38. The International Center of Photography collection. Witkin-Berley Ltd., Roslyn Heights, NY 1977. Price: £6,500 [ref: 97716] Davi Eckstein, seven years old and classmates in cheder, Brod, Tchécoslovaquie. Circa 1935-1938. 9 x 8.7 cm. David (Davi) Eckstein is a Holocaust survivor, currently living in the south of USA. Born in 1930 in the small town of Brod, Eckstein was seven years old when Vishniac took several photos of him, his classmates and his teacher. Vishniac recalled later: ‘I watched this little boy for almost an hour, and at that moment I saw all the sadness of the world.’ Eckstein survived five concentration camps, including Bergen-Belsen in Germany and Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Poland, before being liberated by the Soviet armed forces. All his family, except for one brother, perished in the Holocaust. This portrait was chosen as the cover image for Vishniac’s first publication: Polish Jews: A Pictorial Record (1947), as well as the cover of: A Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw / A.B. Singer (1969). It also appears in the book A Vanished World, New York, Farrar, 1983, plate 6 with the following caption: ‘Boys were admitted to cheder at the age of four. In their dimly lit classroom, these young people were reading and writing Hebrew. They became familiar with the five books of Moses and studied commentaries on the Talmud, especially the comments of Rashi, a famous eleventh-century scholar. The Talmud is a collection of laws and Jewish traditions that form the basis of religious life. In the cheder, the seeds of learning have been sown and the tradition continually renewed and revised. Maybe I should call these images “The faces of learning”.’

Students gathering outside the Yeshiva of Rabbi Baruch Rabinowitz, Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia (now Ukraine). Circa 1937-1938. 7.3 x 10.3 cm.

Man purchasing herring, wrapped in newspaper, for a Sabbath meal, Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia. Circa 1935-1938. 7 x 9.5 cm.

Rabbi and child. Circa 1935-1938. 7 x 10 cm.

Request for a weekly meal, Warsaw. Circa 1935-1938. 7.2 x 10.3 cm.

Worn Rabbi. Circa 1935-38. 7.2 x 10 cm.

22 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics Jewish thought and aesthetics Shapero Rare Books 23 Jewish tRaditions

24 Shapero Rare Books Jewish thought and aesthetics seMinal woRk on the CustoMs and Rituals of the ashkenaZi Jews 8. tyRnau, isaaC. Sefer Minhagim. [Book of Customs]. [Religious rites and customs for the whole year as used in Germany and Poland, originally compiled in Hebrew by Isaac Tyrnau, translated into Yiddish by Simon Levi Ginsburg]. Isaac de Cordova, Amsterdam, 1723.

Rabbi Isaac [of] Tyrnau was one of the greatest Ashkenazi scholars of the middle ages. His work Sefer Minhagim had a major influence on the Eastern-European Jewry. Following the burning alive of dozens of Viennese Jews who refused to be baptised in 1421, Rabbi Isaac who was in Nirenberg at the time, wrote his seminal work. In it he describes in detail the rituals and customs of Austrian, Hungarian and Bohemian Jews. The main purpose of the book was to serve as a simple and accessible prayers guide to anyone attending a synagogue service. The book starts with the customs of Mozaey Shabbat, then proceeds to other days of the week, Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh and all the holidays throughout the year.

The first printed edition of this book was published in Venice in 1566. The book is noted as the first to discuss in detail the idea of the Yahrzeit (the commemoration of the anniversary of a death), as well as imparting other customs, such as: Tashlich, having the Purim feast in the afternoon following the Minchah prayer, blowing the Shofar throughout the month of Elul except on the eve of Rosh HaShana and many more.

Provenance: Salomon S. Meyer, Antiquariaat-Graphiek Hebraica-Judaica.

Small quarto, (19.5 x 15.5 cm), title within a fine architectural woodcut and 43 woodcut illustrations in text, some miniature. Browning and staining to leaves. Last 4 leaves unexpertly remargined with some minor loss of text to one of the pages. Restored embossed brown calf boards. Text in Hebrew and Yiddish. Vinograd, Amsterdam 1210; Steinschneider 7549; Zedner 361.

Price: £3,000 [ref: 97724]

26 Shapero Rare Books Jewish traditions Jewish traditions Shapero Rare Books 27 f i R s t engl i sh tRans l at i on of any paRt of the si dduR 9. MeaRs, aB RahaM . The book of religion, ceremonies, and prayers of the Jews, as practiced in their synagogues and families on all occasions: On their Sabbath and other holy-days throughout the year, to which is added, a preface shewing the intent of the whole. The contents, and an index, with the Hebrew title of each prayer made English; with many remarkable observations and relations of the rabbies: All which are what the modern Jews religiously observe. Translated immediately from the Hebrew, by Gamaliel Ben Pedahzur, Gent. Printed for J. Wilcox, London, 1738. the earliest translation into english of the Jewish prayer book.

This comprehensive, and occasionally rather critical, study of Jewish life and practices is dominated by the first English translation of any part of the Siddur, the definitive Jewish prayer-book. Translated by Abraham Mears (under the pseudonym of Gamaleil Ben Pedahzur, according to Roth), an apostate member of the English Ashkenazi community, it was intended as an exposition of Judaism rather than a service book, but in providing phonetic translations of the Hebrew title of each prayer Mears explicitly promotes its use ‘to Beginners in the Hebrew Tongue’ and ‘all Persons that resort to the Synagogues’. The transliterated Hebrew title for each prayer is found in the margins, enabling the curious non-Hebrew reading Christian to attend and follow a synagogue service. The transliteration of the Hebrew characters provides a clue as to how Hebrew was pronounced in the eighteenth-century Ashkenazi community of London. The book was not intended for liturgical use, but rather for scholarly readership, so it is not in effect a prayer-book. It reflects the growing interest in Judaism on the part of non-Jewish Englishmen of the of the eighteenth century.

First edition. 8vo, (20.5 x 13 cm); xiv, 96; 291, [7] pp.; contemporary polished calf, gilt, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece. Early inked initials letters and shelfmark to front pastedown, nineteenth-century ink inscription to rear pastedown. Slightly rubbed, with a small chip to head of spine and some light scuffing to boards. One or two paper-flaws to page numbers, small hole to I2, barely touching a single character of text. Occasional mark, light damp-staining to rear endpapers, else a very crisp and clean copy. ESTC T86072; Roth B8:6.

Price: £3,750 [ref: 94056]

28 Shapero Rare Books Jewish traditions Jewish traditions Shapero Rare Books 29 10. oppenheiM, MoR i tZ, pRof . Tafereelen uit het Oud-Joodsche Familieleven naar de Oorspronkelijke Schilderstukken van Prof. M. Oppenheim. Heinrich Keller; H. Eisendrath, Frankfurt am Main; Amsterdam, [1882].

A magnificent book illustrated with 20 reproductions of Oppenheim’s oil paintings depicting a romanticised view of 18th-century German-Jewish life and customs; with an introduction by Rabbi J. Hoofien.

Moritz Daniel Oppenheim (1801-1882) was a German painter who is often regarded as the first Jewish painter of the modern era. He was inspired by his own Jewish cultural and religious roots at a time when many of his German Jewish contemporaries chose to convert to Christianity. He was born to Orthodox Jewish parents at Hanau and entered the Munich Academy of Arts at the age of seventeen. He later studied in Paris under Jean-Baptiste Regnault. In Rome he studied the life of the Jewish ghetto and made sketches of the various phases of its domestic and religious life in preparation for several large canvases, which he painted on his return to Germany. He received the title of professor in 1832 from the Grand Duke Karl August of Saxe-Weimar.

Rabbi Jacob Hoofien (1846-1886) trained in Amsterdam and became the Rabbi of Utrecht in 1875, having published a handbook on history of the Jews a few years prior.

Small folio, (39 x 29 cm); text in Dutch, plates laid onto thick card with ornamental red border, edges gilt, publisher’s pictorial red boards gilt, floral ornaments, botanical endpapers and half-title slightly foxed, spine edges rubbed.

Price: £950 [ref: 97922]

30 Shapero Rare Books Jewish traditions Jewish traditions Shapero Rare Books 31 ReMaRkaBle woRk on the taBeRnaCle 11. Rhind, w. g. The Tabernacle in The Wilderness; The Shadow of Heavenly Things. Four engravings, coloured and inlaid with gold, silver, and brass, according to the texts of scripture: with explanatory notes. Samuel Bagster & Sons, London, 1842.

The Tabernacle (called the Mishkan in Hebrew) was the portable sanctuary in which the Jews carried the Ark of the Covenant through the desert (as described in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers of the Hebrew Bible). This book contains detailed hand-coloured illustrations and explanations of the structure and function of the Tabernacle, with references to the scripture.

William Graeme Rhind (1794-1863) was born at Gillingham, Kent, to a Naval family, and as such was destined for the Navy. In fact, his name was enrolled as a first-class volunteer at the age of seven. At twelve he entered actual service as a midshipman, witnessed the horrors of war while fighting against the Americans. He was eventually taken prisoner, together with a few other survivors from his ship, and was held in America for two years. In the winter of 1816-17 after peace had been proclaimed, he retired from active service as First Lieutenant, subsequently obtaining the rank of Commander. Having settled at Plymouth, he found Christ, becoming a diligent student of the Holy Scriptures he enrolled at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1822, where he studied for three years, subsequently buying a sailing boat, filling it with holy books and becoming a floating preacher. He would visit the boats and war ships in Plymouth Harbour, preaching in the open air as well as in naval hospital. Besides this work, Rhind wrote The Testimony of the Times and a children’s book titled The Six Days of Creation, all of which were issued in several editions. Jewish Cooking Second edition. Folio, [3], ii, 2-36, [1] pp., 4 fine coloured plates, each hand-coloured and inlaid with gold, silver and brass and protected with tissue guard; contemporary dark blue cloth embossed boards with gilt title, corners and spine rubbed.

Price: £1,000 [ref: 98177]

32 Shapero Rare Books Jewish traditions Shapero Rare Books 33 12. weil, RaBBi ya’akoV. Sefer Shechitot U’Bedikot. [Book of Kosher Meat Preparation]. Ya’akov Cohen of Gazulo (printer), Mantua, 1556. a scarce edition of the fundamental book of ruling and laws of ‘shechita’ and ‘trefot’. only one other copy of this early edition on vellum is known to exist – in the collection of the british library.

‘With glosses, printed in the name of Rabbi Avraham ben Peretz HaCohen’ and Sefer Bedikot by Rabbi Ya’akov Weil, with glosses and ‘aws of nikur of the meat according to Rashi’.

Shechita is the slaughtering of mammals and birds for food, also known as kosher slaughter. Trefa is food which does not satisfy the requirements of the Jewish laws of kashrut, meaning it is not kosher.

The book consists of two works: Shechitot (plural from Shechita) and Bedikot (meaning ‘tests’ or ‘examinations’) written by Rabbi Ya’akov ben Yehuda Weil – one of the leading Ashkenazic Torah authorities and a disciple to the Maharil (Ya’akov ben Moshe Levi Moelin – a famous 14th century Talmudist). These works were first printed in 1549 in Venice, as part of the book of Responsa by Mahari Veil, and later published separately in more than 100 editions by various printers.

This is a very rare copy printed on vellum. During the 14th century the use of paper in book printing spread throughout Europe and slowly replaced vellum. With the introduction of the letterpress in the mid-15th century the production of books printed on paper became significantly cheaper. Copies printed on vellum were significantly more expensive and produced in small numbers, usually to special orders by affluent individuals, therefore these days they are extremely rare.

On the reverse of the title-page there are several ownership inscriptions and signatures by Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Chazan - Av Beit Din of Rome, Corfu and Alexandria; another presumed to be by Rabbi Eliezer Yerucham Elyashar – dayan and rabbi in Safed, father of Rishon LeZion Rabbi Ya’akov Shaul Elyashar.

The woodcut printed frame on the title-page bears the priestly symbol of hands at the top. There is a separate title-page to the book of Bedikot. The opening words at the beginning of each book are framed with woodcut adornments. On pages 5 and 6 there are printed illustrations of knives – to illustrate the flaws that invalidate a kosher slaughtering knife.

16 leaves, (15.7 x 10.3 cm), printed on vellum; text in Hebrew; signatures and inscriptions of previous owners to pages. Preserved in a new solander box with gilt decoration.

Price: £45,000 [ref: 91302]

34 Shapero Rare Books Jewish cooking Jewish cooking Shapero Rare Books 35 36 Shapero Rare Books Jewish cooking Jewish cooking Shapero Rare Books 37 13. MeyeR, eRna, dR. Cookery-book. How to cook in Palestine. Wizo, Tel Aviv, [1936].

The first Zionist Cookery book published in Palestine, richly illustrated.

Widely regarded as the first ‘Israeli cookbook’, the book offers simple dishes made of fresh local produce, on a budget. Published during the British mandate, the book offers a practical guide on using the locally available ingredients to create traditional Jewish-European meals.

The German-born author Erna Meyer aimed to educate newly immigrant housewives on the use of local vegetables and spices, while also making use of their knowledge of old European cooking and recipes: ‘...we housewives, must take an attempt to free our kitchens from European customs which are not applicable to Palestine.We should wholeheartedly stand in favour of healthy Palestine cooking.... because we realize that this will help us more than anything else in becoming acclimatised to our old-new homeland.... Once we learn how to take advantage of the natural products of Palestine and in addition utilize our knowledge of European cooking we will bring about great changes in our method of cooking and will be able to vary our dishes - an important detail, often underestimated.’

The book is divided to three sections: first - an introduction, technical explanations on vocabulary, cooking with oil, seasoning and cooking with electricity. Second - warm dishes; third - cold dishes. This cookbook is generally regarded as being most influential in the development of the distinctive Israeli cuisine.

First edition. 4to, (22.5 x 15 cm). [6], 7-41 pp., 42-155 ll., 8-28, [7] pp.; illustrated throughout. Original illustrated wrappers, with titles in English and Hebrew on opposite sides. A few closed marginal tears, with no loss of text. Text in Hebrew, with some English and German.

Price: £750 [ref: 97952]

38 Shapero Rare Books Jewish cooking Jewish cooking Shapero Rare Books 39 14. howland, Mi s s l.C. 15. kanteR, Be Rta . Entrées: A Collection of Recipes Including a Selection Suitable for Jewish Cookery. Like Mama Used to Make. A collection of favourite and traditional Jewish dishes. H. Virtue and Company Limited, London, 1901. Revised English Edition after the American original by Berta Kanter. Children and Youth Aliyah Committee for Great Britain, London, [1957]. A British cookbook with some heavy French, Italian and Eastern European influences, including a section of Kosher recipes, which are marked with A richly illustrated collection of modernised Ashkenazi and Eastern-European Jewish an asterisk throughout the book. Some of the recipes, which are unmarked, would recipes. The book contain a section devoted to Jewish holidays with typical dishes for also fit for Kosher cooking if the meat used is Kosher slaughtered, such as the Russian each, followed by chapters devoted to different food groups, as well as an advertiser’s Ox Tongue (p.9) or Calf’s Head in Jelly (p.25). The author prides herself to be a ‘Diplomee index, section index and an alphabetical index. Terms and holidays are explained in detail, of the National School of Cookery’ and ‘Associate of the Universal Cookery Association’ with some occasional humorous tales related to the recipes. Contains some advertising with ‘practical experience in the Cuisine of one of the best London Clubs’. This edition pages for various producers of Kosher food and ingredients in London, and even some is not in the British Library. kitchen appliances. This is a revised British edition, published after the original American edition of 1952. First edition. 8vo, (19 x 13 cm); [i-vii], viii-xii, [1], 2-187, [188], [i-iv] pp.; bookplate from a previous owner to rear pastedown, with signature on the opposite leaf, dated 1906. Original First British edition. [1-3], 4-185, [7] pp.; original illuminated wrappers in black, blue and embossed and illustrated green boards imitating half leather, spine edges rubbed, slight white; plastic comb spine. Wrappers slightly rubbed, pages in pristine condition. browning to endpapers, pristine pages. Price: £125 [ref: 95833] Price: £250 [ref: 95835]

40 Shapero Rare Books Jewish cooking Jewish cooking Shapero Rare Books 41 anglo-Jewi sh CookBook puB l i shed i n london 16. May, Vi V i enne . A Potpourri of Jewish Recipes. The Ranelagh Press, London, 1968.

Published in London following the Israeli Six-Day War and during the War of Attrition, the proceeds of this cookbook were aimed at helping Israel through Hampstead Synagogue Joint Palestine Appeal branch (today the Joint Israel Appeal). This is a quite random assortment of recipes, ranging from North-African Jewish to Mediterranean and Ashkenazi cuisines.

(22.2 x 14 cm). 48 pp., original printed wrappers, slightly foxed.

[ref: 95834] Price: £65 ZionisM

42 Shapero Rare Books Jewish cooking f i R s t ed i t i on of he RZ l ’s V i s i on of a Jewi sh s tat e 17. heRZl, theodoR . Der Judenstaat. Versuch einer modernen Lösung der Judenfrage. M. Breitenstein, Leipzig and Wien, 1896.

Der Judenstaat is considered to be the founding manifesto of political Zionism.

In 1896, Der Judenstaat, Versuch einer Modernen Lösung der Judenfrage (The Jewish State, Proposal of a modern solution for the Jewish question) was published in Vienna by the 35-year old Theodor Herzl, a Hungarian journalist of Jewish descent. The previous year, Herzl had witnessed the Dreyfus affair in Paris and had been appalled at the outbreak of anti-Semitism that it had generated in the ‘birthplace of human rights’. He came to the conclusion that the creation of an independent Jewish state during the 20th century would be the best way for Jews to escape European anti-Semitism. The title of the work originally read Proposal of a modern solution for the Jewish question: Address to the Rothschilds, as Herzl planned to deliver it as a speech to the Rothschild family, but Baron Edmond de Rothschild rejected Herzl’s plan, feeling that it threatened Jews in the diaspora; he also thought it would put his own settlements at risk.

Herzl worked on his pamphlet from summer 1895 to winter 1896 but received little support from the publishers. Siegfried Cronbach (Berlin), publisher of a Jewish weekly, rejected the publication, objecting to its content, as did Duncker and Humblot (Leipzig), which had recently published Herzl’s Palais Bourbon but insisted that they had never produced anything on ‘this question’ (relating to the Jewish question). On 17 January 1896 the London Jewish Chronicle carried a synopsis of the pamphlet: ‘A Solution of the Jewish Question’ by Dr. Theodor Herzl. This led to a meeting with a fairly obscure publisher, Breitenstein. Herzl noted that he was enthusiastic about certain passages, and a definitive title, Der Judenstaat, was decided upon then and there. The precise terms of their co-operation are not known but later accounts show that Herzl received no royalties and that income from sales barely covered the publisher’s costs. By February the proofs were ready, but Herzl was clearly disappointed that only 3,000 copies were planned to be printed - Breitenstein did not expect a commercial success.

On February 15th, 1896 a slim volume written by Herzl appeared in the shop window of M. Breitenstein’s Verlags-Buchhandlung in Vienna, titled: Der Judenstaat. Versuch einer Modernen Lösung der Judenfrage. Der Judenstaat is Herzl’s only work on which he used his academic title. Obviously, he wished to appear as a sober man of affairs, not a utopian.

Reactions to Der Judenstaat were not long in corning. The well-to-do Jewish middle class of Vienna was aghast, as Hermann Bahr told Herzl at the time and Stefan Zweig recalled in his memoirs. The Neue Freie Presse kept silent, the liberal press rejected the scheme. Encouragement came from Zionist groups in Berlin and Sofia, and the Russian Hovevei Zion cautiously took note. Unreserved acclaim came from the Zionists on the margins of Viennese Jewish society. Their support catapulted Herzl to the leadership of the Zionist movement. This was the most significant, immediate result of the publication of Der Judenstaat.

Provenance: Shlomo Shva collection.

First edition. First issue indicated by pointing to the left flower closing vignette on p.86. Octavo, (24 x 16 cm); 86 pp., one leaf cut in bottom right corner with no damage to text; pencil inscriptions and pen notations on two leaves; small marginal tears; recent calf. Text in German.

Price: £12,500 [ref: 94470]

44 Shapero Rare Books Zionism Zionism Shapero Rare Books 45 18. heRZl, theodoR . Medinat HaYehudim. (Der Iudenstaat). [A Jewish State, an Attempt at a Modern Solution to the Jewish Question]. Halter and Eisenstadt for Toshiah, Warsaw, 1896. first hebrew edition of herZl’s manifesto leading to the creation of the Jewish state.

Published the same year as the original German version, Der Judenstaat. Translated by M. Berkowitz (stated in Hebrew on the front cover pastedown).

‘It was Herzl’s book that really crystallized the idea of a national home for the Jews. Through his work, he transformed the Jewish people from a passive community into a positive political force. (...) That a Jewish State was created in Palestine within fifty years of his death was due to the vision and the practical methods of Herzl, expressed in his manifesto of 1896.’ (Printing and the Mind of Man).

See more about this work in the previous catalogue entry.

Octavo, (20.5 x 13 cm), title, i-iv, 5-82 pp.; contemporary black cloth with original upper wrapper pasted on top. Some marginal browning to pages. Small marginal tears to the first 4 leaves and the last leaf with no damage to text. Dedication to previous owner Dr. Reuven Madel, in Hebrew to the front end leaf, dated ‘Lodz, 1985’. PMM, 381.

Price: £8,500 [ref: 94282]

46 Shapero Rare Books Zionism Zionism Shapero Rare Books 47 s C aRCe Zi on i s t paMphl e t 19. [anon.]; ZhaBotinsky, Ze ’e V (ed i toR ). Davka Eretz Israel. [Why would I want to go precisely to the Land of Israel and not to any other territory in the world?] Poalei Zion, London, 1905.

Activist pamphlet No.1 by the Poalei Zion movement, published in London 1905, soon after the establishment of the movement. The author preferred to remain anonymous only identified as ‘Yud’ (presumed to be Yosef Haim Brenner - one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew literature, a Zionist, who lived in London at the time of the publication).

The text was edited and supplemented by Zhabotinsky, who was actually the leader of the leader of the right-wing Zionists at the time and resided in Russia. The text of the pamphlet discusses why Jews should go live in the Land of Israel out of all places. The discussion divided to two parts: ‘I. Theoretical treatment of the question’; and ‘II. Practical treatment of the question’.

Poalei Zion was a Marxist–Zionist Jewish workers movement founded in various cities of Poland, Europe and the Russian Empire starting in 1903, after the Bund rejected Zionism in 1901. The London branch formed in 1903-1904. The fundaments of the early Poalei Zion movement were the acceptance of the Marxist view of history and additionally the idea of nationhood. A Jewish proletariat would come into being in the Land of Israel and would take part in the class struggle.

(18.5 x 12 cm), 30 pp.; original printed wrappers. Small tears to spine, detached, slightly browned. Text in Yiddish, with some Hebrew.

Price: £800 [ref: 95572]

48 Shapero Rare Books Zionism Zionism Shapero Rare Books 49 20. [uk foReign offiCe]. Zionism. Handbook prepared under the direction of the Historical Section of the Foreign Office - No. 162. H.M. Stationary Office, London, January 1920. a ’Zionism handbook’ published by the british foreign office created to educate british delegates to the paris peace conference of 1919.

‘In the spring of 1917 the Foreign Office, in connexion with the preparation which they were making for the work of the Peace Conference, established a special section whose duty it should be to provide the British Delegates to the Peace Conference with information in the most convenient form - geographical, economic, historical, social, religious, and political - respecting the different countries, districts, islands, &c., with which they might have to deal. In addition, volumes were prepared on certain general subjects, mostly of an historical nature, concerning which it appeared that a special study would be useful.’

This work was originally published for the internal use of British diplomats, as part of a large series of books on the various regions and colonies. Towards 1920, as ‘the Peace Conference nearly completed its task’ these series were issued for public use.

Contents include: a chronological summary of Zionism, starting in 720 B.C.; Zionism in the bible; Zionism under the various rulers of the Holy Land; anti-Semitism and modern Zionism; and other chapters. The last chapter contains statements and speculations in regards to ‘The Future of Palestine’, in reference to the Balfour declaration. This last chapter included phrases, such as ‘Arabs are not jealous of Zionist Jews and intend to give them fair play’, which sound especially intriguing when taking into account the big Arab Riots in Palestine in April of 1920, which began already in 1919, initiated by Haj Amin el-Husseini.

(14 x 21.5 cm); 48 pp., original printed wrappers. Spine slightly sunned and rubbed.

Price: £1,250 [ref: 94996]

50 Shapero Rare Books Zionism Zionism Shapero Rare Books 51 extR eMe ly RaR e pol i sh-Zi on i s t MagaZ i ne , puB l i shed i n paR i s 21. BisnoVaty, (hR sg .). Der Kamf. Monatshrift farn Poyle-Tsienistishn Gedank. Paris, Imp. d’Art Voltaire, 1929.

The publication, which was obviously part of the circle of the General Jewish Labour Bund – a secular Jewish Socialist party, founded in Vilnius in 1897; contains contributions by various authors. Articles deal with emigration to Palestine and reflect a collective ideology of settlement based on socialism. The typographic cover illustration, which is a key motif, recalls the avant-garde work of István Irsai (1896-1968) Hungarian-born Israeli architect and graphic designer, who designed the Hebrew font ‘Haim’ (named after Haim Nachman Bialik), as well as Zionist posters, the Broom (avant-garde art magazine), and HaKumkum (The Kettle); he also designed stage sets as well as logos and theatre programs.

(23.8 x 15.5 cm), 48 pp.; original illustrated wrappers with typographical original woodcut (somewhat dusty, faded, stapling rusted, small owner’s stamp to front wrapper). Browning due to paper, some staining and creasing. Text in Yiddish.

Price: £1,200 [ref: 94603]

52 Shapero Rare Books Zionism Zionism Shapero Rare Books 53 pRayeR Books and BiBles the fiRst puBliC ation of the deClaRation of the state of isRael 22. isRael, the pRoVisional goVeRnMent of. Iton Rishmi. Issues 1 to 25 of the Official Gazette, 1st issue containing the Declaration of Independence for the State of Israel. The Provisional Government of Israel, Tel Aviv, 1948. this first issue of iton rishmi contains the official publication of the israeli declaration of independence, as read out by ben gurion.

The first issue of 14.5.1948 includes the ‘Scroll of Independence’ and a manifest by the Provisional State Council.

‘”Decree concerning the Establishment of the State of Israel” - In the Land of Israel the Jewish People have arisen... (a brief account follows of the events from the First Zionist Congress to date, including the Balfour Declaration)... Therefore we are gathered together, we, the members of the people’s Government, the Leaders of the Hebrew Settlement and the Zionist Movement, on the day that marks the end of the British Mandate over the Land of Israel, and in accordance with the... decision of the Assembly of the United Nations, we hereby declare the establishment of the of the Jewish State in the Land of Israel, that is, the State of Israel.’

The names of all of the 37 members of the Provisional Government, headed by David Ben-Gurion, are listed on page 2. This issue also contains the annulment of the infamous 1939 White Paper restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine.

Quarto, (33.5 x 20.5 cm), printed in black ink. Text in Hebrew. Slightly stained, small tears to edges. 25 issues bound together, contemporary printed grey cloth binding, rubbed.

Price: £3,500 [ref: 94471]

54 Shapero Rare Books Zionism fiRst heBRew-english pRayeR Book pRinted in england 23. MeyeRs, B. and a. alexandeR (tRanslatoRs). Tephilloth, Containing The Forms of Prayers Which are Publicly Read in The Synagogues, and Used in All Families. W. Tooke for The Translators, London, 1770.

In 1770, Alexander Alexander, pioneer of the Hebrew press in London, produced this liturgy according to the Ashkenazi rite in partnership with Benedict Meyers (Jost) of Halberstadt. The first English translation of the daily prayer-book, it was printed on a subscription basis and interestingly, the list of subscribers included many non-Jews. The translators Alexander and Meyers took note in their preface, that despite the cultural and religious significance of the Hebrew language, ‘being imperfectly understood by many, by some not at all, it has become necessary to translate our prayers into the language of the country wherein it has pleased Divine Providence to appoint our lot.’ They also belittled the earlier attempt at an English translation of a Hebrew prayer book, which was published in London in 1738 by the apostate Abraham Mears under the pseudonym Gamaliel Ben Pedahzur, titled The Book of Religion, Ceremonies, and Prayers.

First edition. Octavo, (17.5 x 11 cm); [1], 213, [16] pp.; text in Hebrew and English. Worm marks and small marginal tears to a few pages, contemporary brown calf, light wear, edges rubbed. Vinograd, London 60; Roth B8:10.

Price: £12,500 [ref: 91151]

56 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 57 24. Selichoth Mi’Kol Hashana. [Penitential prayers for the whole year, according to the rites of Poland, Bohemia, Hungary and Moravia]. William Tooke (printer), London, 1770. probably the first hebrew penitential prayers book printed in london.

In the 1770s, several Hebrew prayer books were printed in London for the first time by three different Jewish publishers: A. Alexander and Son, David Levi and a new Jewish publishing house, responsible for publishing the offered book, established by Isaac ben Yedidi, Moshe ben Gershon and Ya’akov ben Issaschar. Unlike Levi and Alexander this group printed books exclusively in Hebrew and Yiddish. Their first publication is said to have been the Toledoth Jacob, a work written by an immigrant Polish scholar named Jacob Eisenstadt. It was followed by a book of liturgy with Yiddish translation published in 1770/1 in three quarto volumes. All three publications are considered to be very rare, with only a small number of surviving copies.

First edition. Quarto, (20.5 x 13.5 cm); 114 leaves; pagination in Hebrew; leaves browned, wear and occasional small tears to margins of leaves. Half cloth marbled boards, hinges and corners restored. Roth B8:13.

Price: £3,500 [ref: 91128]

58 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 59 set of festiVal pRayeRs By one of the pioneeRs of heBRew pRinting in london 25. leVi, daVid (tRanslatoR). Machzor [Set of Festival Prayers]. The Form of Prayers for The New Year: According to the custom of the German and Polish Jews; as read in their Synagogues and used in their families. Moshe bar Shmuel Halevi, London, 1824. the fourth volume contains a prayer for king george iv and the royal family.The sixth volume contains a list of subscribers, which includes Mr & Mrs. N.M. Rothschild. (Nathan Mayer Rothschild first settled in Manchester, where he established a business in finance and textile trading. He later moved to London, where he founded N. M. Rothschild & Sons in 1811, through which he made a fortune with his involvement in the government bonds market.)

The volumes are divided according to the five most important holidays in the Jewish calendar: Vol. I. New Year (Rosh HaShanah); Vol. II. & III. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur); Vol. IV. Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot); Vol. V. Feast of Passover (Pesach); Vol. VI. Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). David Levi (1740-1801) was an English-Jewish writer, translator and one of the pioneers of Hebrew printing in London.

Third revised edition. Six volumes, small quarto, (24 x 15.5 cm); parallel English and Hebrew text, age-toning and the very occasional spot otherwise very clean, contemporary calf, decorative gilt panels to boards, lettering pieces and decorative panels to spines, a little rubbed at extremities, a very handsome set.

Price: £1,500 [ref: 90410]

60 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 61 26. wise, is aaC M. [Machzor] Kefi Minhag America: Tefilot Bnei Yeshurun Le'Rosh HaShana. [The Divine Service of American Israelites for the New Year]. Bloch & Co., Cincinnati, 1872. one of the first reform prayer books for the high holidays to be accepted in the united states.

The volumes include numerous non-traditional prayers in English and German that are almost Protestant in tone, whilst omitting a number of traditional prayers such as Utnah Toqef, Kol Nidre and most of the Al Chets. The inclusion of German in the Siddur testifies to the essentially German character of the nineteenth century American denomination of Reform Judaism. This Siddur was intended to serve as the common prayer-book for all of America’s Jews. Nevertheless, the community remained divided over traditional versus liberal payer books and neither became dominant. The publisher of the volumes, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819-1900), was a pioneer of Reform Judaism and became its acknowledged leader and institutional architect. Wise organised the formation of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (1873), the Hebrew Union College (1875) and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (1889). The reforms that he instituted sought to modernise Jewish teaching and adapt Jewish lifestyle to the conditions of life in a new land. Wise also played a crucial role in establishing the Central Conference of American Rabbis, in 1889, of which he later became president. The Union prayer book was assigned by the Conference to all Reform congregations. The prayer book was first published by Rabbi Wise in 1857 and was intended to address the initial conflict in the United States between supporters and opponents of traditionalism in early Reform Judaism. The roots of this Machzor date back to a programme Wise had laid out in the May 1847 issue of Isaac Leeser’s Occident, in which he argues that American Jews came ‘from different countries, and, brought with them diverse Minhagim; and this circumstance must always prove a source of confusion and disagreement in the various Synagogues’ and that it was necessary to create a new Minhag (custom of prayer) to ‘bring unity among... all the American Synagogues’ and to ‘uphold the Word of the Living God... in the free country of America’, without ‘the desire for innovation, nor the thirst for fame, nor a giddy disposition for reform’.

Two volumes, duodecimo, (17.2 x 12 cm). New Year - 212 pp.; Atonement - 307, [1], 55, [1] pp.; parallel texts in English and Hebrew, with psalms with additional German translation. Original dark brown cloth boards with gilt lettering to spines, gilt edges and blind- stamped decoration to covers of New Year volume; slight wear to edges. Atonement volume with stamp of Tobias Schanfarber to lower pastedown.

Price: £1,250 [ref: 91696]

62 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 63 27. ashkenaZi, JaCoB Ben isaaC. Tzena U’rena Bnot Zion. [Illustrated commentary on the Pentateuch with prayer book, for women]. Herz Levi and Kashman, Amsterdam, 1766.

Includes Sabbath prayers at the beginning of the book.

The work, sometimes called ‘The Women’s Bible’, is a didactic prose work written in Yiddish circa 1590s, whose structure parallels the weekly Torah portions of the Pentateuch and Haftarot which are read in the weekly synagogue services. The work mixes Biblical passages with teachings from the Oral Torah, such as the Talmud’s Aggadot and Midrashim (allegories, legends, tales and commentary and interpretations of the Torah).The name of the book derives from a verse of the Song of Songs that begins: Tz'ēnhā ur'enhā benot Tziyyon (‘Go forth and see, O ye daughters of Zion’, Song 3:11). The nature of the source of the name indicates that the book was intended for women, who at the time would have been less versed in the Hebrew language and less educated than men.

The author, Rabbi Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi (1550-1624) was born near Lublin, Poland. He would tour the neighbouring communities and to publicly read the weekly Torah portions (Parashat HaShavua). He has written a few works on the Halacha and the interpretations of the scriptures, but Tzena U’rena remains his most famous work.

Octavo, (19 x 11.5 cm); [2], 510 ll. Many woodcut illustrations in text. Text in Hebrew and Yiddish in Tzena U’rena font. Restored calf boards, with gilt decorations to spine. Vinograd, Amsterdam 1905.

Price: £1,500 [ref: 97707]

64 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 65 the fiRst tRanslation of the old testaMent into yiddish 28. Hamisha Humshey Torah, Neviim u’Ktuvim Bilshon Ashkenaz. [The five books of Torah, Prophets and Writings, in Yiddish]. Uri Feivish HaLevi (printer), Amsterdam, 1676-1679.

This translation was completed by Jekuthiel ben Isaac Blitz and features approbations by the rabbi of Va’ad Arba Artzot, as well as by Amsterdam Sephardi and Ashkenazi rabbis, dated 1671-1677. The King of Poland had to give special permission for this work to be printed, and his approval appears in Yiddish and Latin on the leaves preceding the title page.

The 1670s in Amsterdam saw the simultaneous printing of two different Yiddish translations of the Bible: the present edition and another, published by Yossef Atias and translated by Joseph Witzenhausen (Yossef ben Alexander). This provoked a feud between the two printers, with mutual accusations of encroachment and the falsification of rabbinic approval. The resulting litigation caused the financial ruin of both printers. For further information regarding this scandal, see: A.M. Haberman, Chapters in the History of the Hebrew Printers, pp. 300-310.

First edition. Quarto, ff. [6], 54, [1], 56-63, [1], 64-193, [1], 195-256, [1], 18; occasional stains and wear, worming, some professionally repaired. Old ownership inscription and stamps, Polish censor stamp to first leaf. Later green leather binding with gilt ornaments, spine faded, housed in a marbled cardboard slipcase. Vinograd, Amsterdam 424; Fuks 336; Darlow & Moule 4485.

Price: £3,000 [ref: 95121]

66 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 67 29. leVi, daVid (tRanslatoR). Tikun Sofrim. [Pentateuch with additional volume of the Five Scrolls]. Lion Soesmans, London, 1787. first edition of levi’s pentateuch, which came to be the best known bible translation by a Jew of its time. published together with a sixth volume of the five scrolls. (roth lists this edition as a five volume only).

This Pentateuch contains the Haftarot, series of selections from the books of Prophets of the Hebrew Bible that are publicly read in synagogue as part of the Jewish religious practice, following the Torah reading on Saturdays, Jewish festivals and fast days. Hebrew text and English translation printed on facing pages, English text accompanied by explanatory notes. Divisional title pages for the Haftarot. The additional Hebrew title page of each volume engraved by Solomon Polack, showing Jews praying and celebrating in a synagogue.

David Levi (1740-1801), the translator of this edition was in fact an erudite Whitechapel cobbler and one of the most remarkable characters of 18th-century English Jewry. He was born in London and after failing to make a living as a shoemaker, went to the other extreme and became a hatter, meanwhile continuing his studies at the Great Synagogue of London. In 1783 he produced, for the enlightenment of the Gentile world, a succinct account of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews, in which their religious principles and tenets are explained. From that date onwards, he was constantly engaged in literary work, in the intervals trying to earn his livelihood. He produced grammars, dictionaries, apologetics, pamphlets and polemics. For years on end he was a one-man Anti-Defamation Committee, always prepared to fight with his quill whenever the good name of Jews or Judaism was impugned. In addition, he produced a series of liturgical and other translations, considered to be superior to Alexander’s. Alexander, who was a well known and established rival London-Jewish publisher, saw in Levi an imitator.

First edition. Six volumes (separate volume for the five scrolls); octavo, (19.5 x 13 cm). Two title pages - Hebrew and English to each of the first five volumes. Sixth vol. published with the Hebrew title page only and a divisional Hebrew-English title page for each scroll. Hebrew title pages are engraved by Solomon Polack. Some pages slightly stained/foxed. The five scrolls vol. contains illustration plate depicting the ten sons of Haman hanged. Recent calf-backed marble boards with old labels. Vinograd, London 116; Roth B8:29.

Price: £5,000 [ref: 91806]

68 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 69 untouChed s i nCe B e i ng p R i nt ed 30. Biblia Hebraica, Secundum ultimam editionem Jos. Athiae, a Johanne Leusden denuo recognitam, recensita veriisque notis latinis illustrata ab Everardo Van der Hooght, V.D.M. [Hebrew Bible]. William Fry for Thomas Dobson, Philadelphia, 1814. very rare first edition of the first complete hebrew bible issued in america.

This is the first Hebrew Bible ever printed in America, which is a reprint of Everardo Van der Hooght’s text, without the vocalisation. Proof-read in Amsterdam (as stated in Hebrew on the divisional title of the second volume). In 1849 this bible was reprinted again in Philadelphia by Isaac Lesser. The text of Van der Hooght (Amsterdam and Utrecht, 1705) is the basis of most modern editions of the Bible. This text is practically a reprint of the Athias-Leusden edition (Amsterdam, 1661-1667), but with variants at the end taken from a number of other printed editions. The Van der Hooght edition has been much prized because of its excellent and clear type; but no manuscripts were used in its preparation.

‘A Jewish printer, Jonathan Horowitz, brought brought the type for the first Hebrew Bible in America from Amsterdam and arranged for its publication in Philadelphia by Thomas Dobson in 1814... The two-volume set (was) sold for nearly fourteen dollars, a high price at the time’ (Harris, The way Jews lived, p.274)

Horowitz first proposed the publication of an edition of the Hebrew Bible for the American market in 1812, but found that he faced stiff commercial competition to this endeavour from other publishers who were working to the same end. As a result, Horowitz sold the type to William Fry in early 1813 and transferred his publication rights and subscription lists to Philadelphia publisher Thomas Dobson, who issued this edition in 1814.

Hebrew was held in such high esteem by the founders of the American Republic that a story emerged at the time of the American Revolution that Hebrew was being considered as a possible substitute for English as the American language. The reason had as much to do with absolute indifference towards anything having to do with England as it had with America’s symbolic view of equating their rebellion against the British with the struggle of the Israelites against the Egyptian Pharaoh. Ironically, as Hebrew, the language of the Jewish people, gained acceptance and status among the New World gentiles, less than half of the original states, at the time of the 1814 printing, accepted the political equality of the Jews in America.

First American edition. 2 Volumes. 4to, (23.2 x 14.5 cm). [6], 296; [2], 312 pp.; pages uncut. Original boards with printed spine-labels, worn and cracked, but still holding. Light browning to pages, occasional pale marginal dampstaining, minor foxing in places. Housed in a modern maroon solander box. Text in Hebrew and Latin. Rosenbach, American Jewish Bibliography 171; Wright, Early Bibles of America 123-24; Darlow & Moule 5168a; Goldman, Hebrew Printing in America, 4; Enc. Judaica VIII, 209; Shaw & Shoemaker 30857.

Price: £19,500 [ref: 94998]

70 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 71 31. CRÉhange, a[l exandR e ] B en BaRuCh . La Semaine Israelite. Ou le Tze’enah Ure’enah Moderne. Entretiens de Josue Hadass avec sa Famille. [Israeli Week. Modernised Tzena U’rena]. M.A. Crehange, Paris, 1846.

Créhange’s adaptation of Tzena U’rena into French by rendering the work as conversations of Joshua (Josué) Hadass with his family on holy scriptures, their relations with the religion and Jewish morals.

Tzena U’rena (lit. ‘Come and See’, a title taken from the Song of Songs, 3:11, ‘Go forth and see, O ye daughters of Zion’) is an exegetical rendering in Yiddish of the Pentateuch, the haftarot and the Five Scrolls, composed at the end of the 16th century by Rabbi Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi (1550–1625), it is sometimes called the ‘Women’s Bible’. The work consists of discourses on selected topics or passages from parashat hashavuah (the weekly chapter of the Pentateuch), the haftarot, and the Scrolls, combining of the peshat (‘literal exegesis’) and the derash (‘free interpretation’), interwoven with legends from the Midrash and other sources, stories and topical comments on moral behaviour. Créhange’s work is written with great charm and most attractively illustrated by numerous lithographs.

Alexandre Créhange (1791-1872), a Jewish-French author, Hebralist and communal leader, was the most senior of the ten founders of the Alliance Israelite Universelle.

Quarto, (26.5 x 16 cm). Five parts in two volumes. Numerous tinted lithographed plates. Vol. I: 72, 180, 73-200 (non-sequential). Vol II: 128, 146, (2), 152. Foxed. Contemporary calf-backed boards, spines gilt, worn.

Price: £1,250 [ref: 96209]

72 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 73 32. M. fRiedlandeR (ed i toR ). The Hebrew Bible with English Translation. [Silver Binding]. Hamadpis Liphshitz Press, Jerusalem, c. 1930~1950.

‘the present edition of the scriptures is a reduced facsimile of the Jewish family bible issued in london in 5645-1884, edited by the late dr. m. friedlander, principal of Jews’ college, london, and sanctioned by the chief rabbi of great britain.’

The Tablets of Stone topped with a bejewelled crown are embossed in silver to the front cover; the back cover depicts 12 icons symbolising the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The inscription to the English title page reads: ‘To Jack Cotton with Love Shalom Zysman, Ramat-Gan, 1.2.1959’

Shalom Zysman (1914-1967) was an Israeli politician, and the deputy mayor of the city of Ramat-Gan. He served as a member of the Knesset for the General Zionists party between the years 1951 and 1955.

Provenance: Jack Cotton (1903-1964) - British property developer.

(14.2 x 11 cm), [10], 1979, [2] pp., titles in Hebrew and English. Illuminated endpapers. Mounted in silver decorative binding with clasp (marked on clasp as 925 silver, made in Israel) with paste gemstones to front cover. Inscription to English title page, dated 1.2.1959.

Price: £1,500 [ref: 97285]

74 Shapero Rare Books prayer books and bibles prayer books and bibles Shapero Rare Books 75 TERMS AND CONDITIONS The conditions of all books has been described; all items in this catalogue are guaranteed to be complete unless otherwise stated.

All prices are nett and do not include postage and packing. Invoices will be rendered in £ sterling. The title of goods does not pass to the purchaser until the invoice is paid in full.

VAT Number G.B. 105 103 675

NB: The illustrations are not equally scaled. Exact dimensions will be provided on request.

Researched and catalogued by: Bela Goldenberg Taieb

Edited by: Jeffrey Kerr

Designed by: Magdalena Joanna Wittchen

Photographed by: Magdalena Joanna Wittchen and Ivone Chao +44 20 7493 0876 [email protected]

32 Saint George Street London W1S 2EA

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