Hebrew Education Society for the City and County of Philadelphia: Circular.
The Beginning Of Advanced Hebrew Education
For Girls And Boys
[Judaica]. Leeser, Isaac, et al. Hebrew Education Society for the City and County of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Privately printed, 1848.
Broadside, 12 ½ x 7 ¾”; blue-grey paper printed in black; lower left tip missing; single horizontal crease, two vertical creases, from folding. In a specially made quarter-morocco slipcase.
The rare flier announcing the formation of Philadelphia’s Hebrew Education Society, with a plea for financial and moral support, and lists of contributors. One of Leeser’s extraordinary achievements, this society led to the first high school in America devoted to Hebrew education. Singerman 1047, one copy. This was Leeser’s copy, and bears his ownership signature on the verso, though a caveat should be registered: it is highly unlikely this was Leeser’s only retained copy of this painfully fragile broadside, but one of a few. It reads in part:
Philadelphia, June 29th, 1848.
Dear Sir,
The Subscribers, appointed a committee at a town meeting of Israelites, assembled to
promote a system of Religious and General Education among us…to instruct every
Jewish child in the ancient language of the Hebrews… In accordance with this object, a
Constitution and by-laws to form a Hebrew Education Society for the City and County of
Philadelphia, were adopted at a meeting held on the 28th day of June last, and we
earnestly invite you herewith, to be present at the meeting to be held on Sunday, the 16th
of July… for the purpose of organizing the society contemplated by the constitution.
We would also respectfully ask of you to endow the society with such funds as you may
be able or willing to contribute, also to become an annual subscriber…
Signed in type by A[braham] Hart, chairman, along with Isaac Leeser and S.M. Klosser, listed as the “committee.” Beneath this letter Hart has printed a subscriber list including about 80 of the most influential Jews of the time, complete with contribution figures ranging from $3 to $100; 26 annual subscribers are noted at the foot of the page.
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