This anonymous book is stamped by the Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum, Lower Norwood and has an inscription by the Headmaster, Reverend S, H, Harris, dated May 19th 1884 – 5644.
The book itself consists of a series of biblical readings, for every day of the year, and also for the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, New Year and Day of Atonement. What is interesting is that it includes books that are not in the Jewish Old Testament canon, such as Tobit and Sirach (Ben Sira), but are included in the Roman Catholic Canon.
The Norwood Jewish Orphanage had its origins in one of the earliest Ashkenazi Jewish charities, the Neve Tzedek (Abode of Righteousness), founded around 1795. I have written before about Lucien Wolf’s 1895 essay on the origins of Norwood.
The Headmaster of the Orphanage, from 1879 to 1890, who signed this book, was Rev. Simcha Henry Harris.
He was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Harris and was born in the Minories area of the City of London. He had a range of occupations in the census as a lapidary master (1851), carver, gilder and picture restorer (1861) and picture restorer (1871).
Then, the Jewish Chronicle of June 9th, 1871 reports that “At a meeting held on Sunday last, Mr. S. H. Harris, of London, was unanimously elected First Reader, Lecturer and School Master of the Newcastle congregation.”
Simcha Harris was minister, first reader and headmaster at the Newcastle Old Hebrew Congregation, Temple Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 1871 to 1879 and officiated at the consecration of the synagogue of the short-lived united North and South Shield Hebrew Congregation in 1876.
He served as headmaster of the Jewish Orphanage and Asylum at Norwood in South London from 1879 to 1890. His wife served as matron, their elder daughter Kate as Deputy Matron and their younger daughter Madeline as Assistant Matron.
After his wife died, in 1890 he was founder and principal of Townley Castle school, Ramsgate, Kent, a “high class” boarding school for young Jewish gentlemen. He remarried in 1901 and died at the school in 1907. He is buried in Willesden Jewish Cemetery in London. Rev. Harris was a prominent Freemason and council member of the Anglo Jewish Association. Following his death in Ramsgate his son-in-law, Rev. Samuel Levine, became principal of the Townley Castle school.
The book was printed by John Wertheimer (1799 – 18 December 1883). he had immigrated to London from Frankfurt. His family was connected with the Rothcxhilds, who financed his print shop. The firm was called Wertheimer, Lea & Co. From 1820 until his death he was actively engaged as a printer in London and many important educational, medical, and philological works were issued from his press. His firm printed most of the works at that time needing Hebrew type, also commercial reports and the community newspaper, The Jewish Chronicle.
Jewish Miscellanies 