Please post your comments and submissions via our
LinkedIn discussion group "Seforim"
or if you prefer send us a short email
and we
will try to post a monthly digest of the best submissions here.
Upcoming Article:
What effect will E-books and E-book readers have on Sifrei Kodesh publishing
Archive of previous articles:
Publish and Perish
Review of Recent Torah
Journals
Links of note:
Shtaygen has collected an amazing archive of more than 80 Divrei Torah and Shabbat pages.
Click here:
www.shtaygen.co.il/?CategoryID=908
20-12-11 Reprint from HaAretz english edition
 |
Stefan Litt holding copies of psalms books he is researching, at the National Library in Jerusalem. |
| Photo by: Gil Cohen Magan |
By Nir Hasson
Friday June 3, 1768, was an exciting day in the sizable Jewish community of Amsterdam. That day, the Stadtholder (chief executive) of Holland, William V of the House of Orange, arrived for a rare visit to the Jewish quarter and the synagogue, accompanied by his wife, Wilhelmina of Prussia. "Their Highnesses sat on the bench of the community elders, the other ministers and dignitaries were seated on two velvet benches on the north and south sides of the synagogue. As they entered the synagogue, the Holy Ark was opened, the cantors and vocalists had begun to sing 'Baruch Haba' [Welcome]" - this is how the event was described in the community registry.
Stefan Litt, an archivist at the National Library in
Jerusalem, found this description in the course of his research into the
registries of the Ashkenazi communities (pinkassei kahal ) in the 17th and
18th centuries. The registry goes on to note that a community elder,
Gumpel Klev, bestowed on the royal couple a keepsake from the community:
"Two books printed on white satin, the cover pages beautifully ornamented
with their insignia."
Continuation of article >