Rabbi Jacob Rabinowitz was born in Gmina Kolno, Poland in 1869. He was the son of Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Rabinowitz of Lomza (today in north east Poland) and the grandson of Rabbi Mendel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of Kovno. He came to Britain in approximately 1898 and served as temporary rabbi of the Machzike Hadath Synagogue, Brick … Continue reading Seder Hagadah shel Pesach – Shivchei Yaakov, by Rabbi Jacob Rabinowitz of Edinburgh, London 1906-7.
Bloom’s glass trays from Bloom’s Restaurants in Aldgate and Golder’s Green – 1960s, 1970s.
I have these two items in my Anglo-Judaica collection. They are small glass trays or dishes from Bloom's famous kosher restaurant - which actually had two branches in Aldgate in the East End of London, and in Golders Green in North-West London. Plus a short-lived branch in Edgware. Before the age of credit cards, you … Continue reading Bloom’s glass trays from Bloom’s Restaurants in Aldgate and Golder’s Green – 1960s, 1970s.
Merkevet HaMishneh on the Rambam by Rabbi Shlomo (Solomon) of Chelm, Frankfort on the Oder, 1751.
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.
The Jewish Year Book, London, 1900 (5661), edited by Rev. Isidore Harris – London Synagogues and Kosher Butchers.
By 1900 the Jewish Year Book was in its fifth year of publication, and was packed with useful information about the Jewish community. The original editor, Joseph Jacobs, had gone to the United States to work on the Jewish Encyclopedia. The new editor, Reverend Isidore Harris, was born in London in 1853, and educated at … Continue reading The Jewish Year Book, London, 1900 (5661), edited by Rev. Isidore Harris – London Synagogues and Kosher Butchers.
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.
The Golden Chain by Rabbi Simon Baumberg, London 1929.
This is an interesting book by a rather forgotten Chassidic Rabbi. Rabbi Simon Baumberg was born in Lodz in Poland in 1872. Dayan Lazarus wrote of him that his early Chassidic association left him a student of Jewish mysticism, the philosophical Kabbalah, while his grandfather imbued him with his own love for music. Rabbi Baumberg … Continue reading The Golden Chain by Rabbi Simon Baumberg, London 1929.
Sefer Yaaros Devash by Rabbi Jonathan Eibeschutz, Karlsruhe, 1782 – Copy of Rabbi Meyer Schwartzman of Winnipeg.
This is a book from my antique book collection. It is a first edition of Yaaros Devash (A Hive of Honey), and has some important haskomos (approbations). Yaaros Devash is a collection of sermons on ethical matters. The author, Rabbi Jonathan Eibeschutz (circa 1690/4–1764) was a talmudist and kabbalist, a child prodigy. He married the … Continue reading Sefer Yaaros Devash by Rabbi Jonathan Eibeschutz, Karlsruhe, 1782 – Copy of Rabbi Meyer Schwartzman of Winnipeg.
The Jewish Sabbath, by Rabbi Joseph Apfel, Leeds, 1962.
This is a beautiful book in English, describing the laws, customs and songs sung on the Sabbath day by orthodox Jews, with notes that include sources and references for the customs. Rabbi Joseph Apfel came from Berlin and arrived in Leeds just before the war. In 1939, the position of First Reader at the Old … Continue reading The Jewish Sabbath, by Rabbi Joseph Apfel, Leeds, 1962.
The Federation of Women Zionists of Great Britain and Ireland, Fortieth Annual Report, London 1962.
The Federation of Women Zionists of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in 1918. It is the British Branch (British WIZO) of the World Women's International Zionist Organisation (World WIZO). The Federation's founder and first President was Rebecca Sieff. Rebecca Sieff (born Marks) spent most of her childhood in Manchester, which in the late nineteenth … Continue reading The Federation of Women Zionists of Great Britain and Ireland, Fortieth Annual Report, London 1962.
Communal Conference on the Reconstruction of Jewish Education in Great Britain. Report of Proceedings. London 1946.
This was an extremely important two-day conference, held on November 25th and 26th 1945. The Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hertz, was ill (he died in January 1946), and delegated his chairmanship to Dayan Grunfeld. The entire orthodox community was represented, except for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. The list of the attendees, shown below … Continue reading Communal Conference on the Reconstruction of Jewish Education in Great Britain. Report of Proceedings. London 1946.
Jewish Miscellanies 