Rosenbach, Morris; Congregation Beth El Emeth (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Date:
19th century
Description:
Bound compilation of manuscript marriage contracts for 62 couples married by George Jacobs between November 5, 1873, and November 13, 1881. Jacobs served as the rabbi of Congregation Beth El Emeth from 1869 to his death in 1884. His term followed that of Isaac Leeser, who founded the synagoge in 1857 and served as its rabbi until his death in 1868. Most weddings took place in Philadelphia, with two each in Doylestown and Lancaster, Pennsylvania; one each in Harrisburg, Manayunk, Abingdon, and Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; and one each in Richmond and Lynchburg, Virginia. Every ketubah is written in the hand of Jacobs, with the abridged ketubah text in a single block paragraph, justified by stretching characters, and his Hebrew name Gershon bar Mosheh S_imh_ah inscribed at the foot of each leaf. Ketubahs are signed by the groom and 2 witnesses. Congregational president Morris Rosenbach signed as witness on several occasions. Couples' English names, wedding date, and wedding location when not in Philadelphia recorded in English at the head of each leaf. The contracts were entered into the volume from left to right on the rectos, with versos left blank. Volume bound in blind-stamped leather, with gilt title on left cover; covers detached and spine damaged.
Identifier:
2016.05.24.00001
Language:
Aramaic; Hebrew; English
Provenance:
Purchased by Arnold and Deanne Kaplan with the Penn Libraries for the Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica (sold by Michael Kaufman, 2014).
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