This book, from my antique Hebrew books collection, consists of Novellae on the Talmud and the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam (Maimonides) by Rabbi Shlomo ben Moshe of Chelm (1717-1781). This is the first edition of the first part. Rabbi Shlomo was born at Zamoscz, government of Lublin and died at Salonica in 1778. He … Continue reading Merkevet HaMishneh on the Rambam by Rabbi Shlomo (Solomon) of Chelm, Frankfort on the Oder, 1751.
Category: Poland
700 Years of Jewish Life in Poland, by Eli Rubin, London 1944.
This wartime book was published by the Hebrew Department of the famous London bookshop, Foyles, in Charing Cross Road. My copy is stamped "Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, Tel Aviv". I know almost nothing about the author, Eli Rubin. The selection that follows shows that the author compiled a brief history of the … Continue reading 700 Years of Jewish Life in Poland, by Eli Rubin, London 1944.
Koheles Shlomo by Rabbi Shlomo Stencl, Peterkov, 1932.
This book contains the writings of Rabbi Shlomo Stencl, who was the elder brother of Avrum Nochum Stencl. A. N. Stencel was the writer and poet, who arrived in London in about 1936 and published and edited the monthly Yiddish magazine Loshen un Lebn for about 40 years. His book London Lyrics was published in … Continue reading Koheles Shlomo by Rabbi Shlomo Stencl, Peterkov, 1932.
Sefer Korban Shabbos, by Rabbi Betzalel ben Solomon of Kobrin and Slutzk, Dyhrenfurth, 1691.
This is an interesting book from my antique Hebrew books collection, a book of homilies on several laws of Shabbos (the Sabbath day), compiled from halachic (Jewish legal) authorities and works of Kabbalah, including lighting of the Shabbos candles and the idea of adding time onto Shabbos, written by Rabbi Bezalel ben Solomon Darshan (17th … Continue reading Sefer Korban Shabbos, by Rabbi Betzalel ben Solomon of Kobrin and Slutzk, Dyhrenfurth, 1691.
Chochmas Shlomo by the Maharshal, Rabbi Solomon Luria, Brinn (Brno), 1796 – once in the Library of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin.
This book is from my antique book collection. Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin means the Rabbinical School of the Sages of Lublin, which is in Poland. This large and legendary school was opened in 1930 and included a significant and growing library of tens of thousands of important rabbinical texts. The library was supposed to have been … Continue reading Chochmas Shlomo by the Maharshal, Rabbi Solomon Luria, Brinn (Brno), 1796 – once in the Library of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin.
Sefer Nidchei Yisroel, by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, the “Chofetz Chaim”, First edition, Warsaw 1893.
This book is from my antique book collection. It is the first edition of Nidchei Yisroel, printed in 1893 on poor quality paper, originally in paper wrappers, perhaps to keep the cost as low as possible. The pages have browned and I have scanned them in black and white to make them clearer. Rabbi Yisrael … Continue reading Sefer Nidchei Yisroel, by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, the “Chofetz Chaim”, First edition, Warsaw 1893.
Yalkut Yosef, by Rabbi Israel Joseph Lew, London 1942.
This book, as we shall see below, is a wartime product, written for orthodox Yiddish-speaking Jews who were living through the London bombing. "Amid the thunders and lightnings of war, amid the deafening noise of high explosives and the roar of cannon the echo of the trumpet voice of Sinai must continue to resound throughout … Continue reading Yalkut Yosef, by Rabbi Israel Joseph Lew, London 1942.
Glokn in Midbar (Bells in the Desert), Yiddish, London, 1948 and Ringn un Keyten (Rings and Chains), Yiddish, London, 1947 by S. Palme.
S. Palme was the pen name of Bernard (Berl) Sovinsky. He was my great-grandmother’s first cousin, born in Miedzyrzec Podlaski (Mezerich in Poland) to Baruch and Chana Sovinsky in 1888. I have previously written about his book Farviste Erd (Scorched Earth), published in London in 1943. This copy has all three books bound together, and … Continue reading Glokn in Midbar (Bells in the Desert), Yiddish, London, 1948 and Ringn un Keyten (Rings and Chains), Yiddish, London, 1947 by S. Palme.
Proletarishe Yugnt (Proletarian Youth), A. M. Orzycer, London 1943
Abraham Mordecai Orzhitzer (also spelled Orzycer) was born on March 1, 1913 in Brok, near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Poland. In 1931, at the age of 18, he emigrated to Paris and went on from there to London. where he was a tailor and writer. In 1953 he moved to the United States. He was a reporter … Continue reading Proletarishe Yugnt (Proletarian Youth), A. M. Orzycer, London 1943
The 100th Blog Post: Sefer Chemdas Yisroel by Rabbi Meir Dan Plotsky, Piotrkov, 1924
This book is in my Anglo-Judaica library partly because of its prenumeranten (subscription list) which shows that its printing was financed by pre-subscriptions from Jews of Belgium, England and the United States. Unfortunately my copy is printed on very poor quality paper which cracks and crumbles. It cannot be scanned, but the photographs are sufficient … Continue reading The 100th Blog Post: Sefer Chemdas Yisroel by Rabbi Meir Dan Plotsky, Piotrkov, 1924
Jewish Miscellanies 