Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Die Deborah. Eine deutsch-amerikanische Wochenschrift zur Foerderung juedischer Interessen in Gemeinde, Schule und Haus

Cincinnati: Verein jüdischer Schriftsteller, 1901–1902. First edition. Large Octavo. Vol. I. Nos. 1, 5-12 (1901); Vol II. Nos. 1-5, 7, 9-12 (1902), ca. 30pp. each. Original gray stapled wraps with black lettering on cover. Originally established as weekly by Rabbi Isaac M. Wise in 1855, this new series (Neue Folge), established by Rabbi G. Deutsch after R. Wise's death, was published as a monthly though subtitled as a weekly on first issue of the Neue Folge. Rabbi Wise was born in Bohemia in 1819 and emigrated to the United States in 1846 and was appointed Rabbi of the Congregation Beth-El of Albany in the same year. A controversy with the president of the synagogue led Wise to establish the Congregation Anshe Emeth in Albany and he eventually moved to Cincinnati where he lived until his death in 1900. Officiating as a Rabbi in Cincinnati Wise organized the building of the Plum Street Temple, a center of Reform Judaism in America, which was later renamed after Wise. Among other publications on the subject of Judaism and Christianity, Die Deborah was meant "...for the instruction and the intellectual entertainment of the ladies... [She will form] the connecting link in the chain of Judaism between America and Germany; she will give important service to those who do not read English and she will be welcome to everybody who venerates Judaism and who loves his mother tongue" (Rabbi Wise introducing the periodical in 1855). It became the most important German Jewish newspaper in America, propagating German identity, bourgeois culture, and Jewish Reform with women assigned strategic places. It also was the platform for three of Wise's novels which were published here as serials. After Rabbi Wise's death Rabbi G. Deutsch continued Die Deborah for two years. In the mission statement of the Neue Folge Deutsch stresses that Die Deborah is not an attempt to replace English with German as the official language of America but at the same time points to the importance of the German language in the history of Judaism ("Die deutsche Sprache hat das Judenthum aus geistiger Versumpfung und Erstarrung gerettet. Wer sich über Judenthum, seine Geschichte, seine Literatur, seine Religion instruieren will, muß der deutschen Sprache mächtig sein"). The agenda of the new Die Deborah was to help European emigrants, to nurture German as a civilized language, and to inform their European brothers of the developments pertaining to Judaism in America. The content of the periodical comprises interpretations of Hebrew texts, a regular review of pertinent religious and political events, letters from and to the editor, literary contributions and critique, and a regular listing of Jewish commemorative days. Twor years all published. Two OCLC locations. Text in German. Wrappers of Vol. 1, No. 1 front detached, back missing, No. 6 back with chips and moderate soiling, No. 10 back almost detached, No. 11 back with tear and crease, No. 12 back detached, and general chipping at spine. Overall wrappers with light wear along edges, rubbed, some small stains and chips, and light sunning. Wrappers in overall fair, one poor, to good-, interior in good to very good condition. fair to vg. Item #37774

Price: $950.00

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