Divine Service of American Israelites for the New Year, The.
212 pp.
Hebrew and English on facing pages; some text in German and English on facing pages. Bound in original full red morocco richly gilt, with owner's name "Ester Frank" lettered in gilt within centered ornament on upper cover. Written in a contemporary hand, in light pencil on the inside front pastedown: "Pew 149/Plum Street." Some rubbing but still very nice, a.e.g. Lace bookplate of Alva Welby Goldsmith.
A fine association copy of the first edition of a new prayer book for Rosh-ha shanah, the Jewish New Year. Prepared by Rabbi Isaac M. Wise, generally considered the preeminent leader of American Reform Judaism in the 19th century. This was published for general use by Reform Congregations throughout the United States, and for the use of Rabbi Wise's Congregation Bene Yeshuran of Cincinnati, in particular, on the occasion of the opening of its new Plum Street Synagogue. Founded in 1840 in Cincinnati, the cradle of American Reform congregation assured its place in history when it invited Isaac M. Wise to become its rabbi in 1854. Arguably "the most prominent Reform Jew of his time," Rabbi Wise (1819-1900) came to the United States in 1846. Following successive appointments in Albany as Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El and Congregation Anshe Emeth, Wise relocated in 1854 to Cincinnati where he led his new congregation for the remaing 46 years of his life. From his base in that city he made astonishing contributions to the institutional foundations of American Reform Judaism beginning with the publication in 1857 of the Minhag Amerika, precursor to the 1894 Union Prayer Book. His persistent efforts throughout the following decades led to the founding of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (today the Union for Reform Judaism) in 1873; the founding of the Hebrew Union College in 1875, and the founding of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in 1889.
The Plum Street Temple (today the Isaac M. Wise Temple) was dedicated in August 1866. It is among the oldest synagogue buildings still in use in the United States, its architecture inspired by the Alhambra at Granada. The copy offered here of this new edition of prayers for the New Year, prepared for that occasion, belonged to Ester Frank, whose name is lettered in gilt on the cover, and who has written in pencil on the inside pastedown "Pew 149/ Plum Street." It is a poignant artifact not only for its direct association with the birth of this historic synagogue, but also as a symbolic expression of the equality accorded to women in Reform Judaism. Earlier, during his tenure in Albany, Rabbi Wise presided over what he declared to be the first introduction of family seating, in his Congregation Anshe Emeth.
cf. Jack Wertheimer, ed., The American Synagogue: a Sanctuary Transformed, C.U.P., 2003, pp. 366-68.
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