Moses Cohen d’Azevedo. Orden de la oracion que fue hecha en la synagoga de la nacion portuguesa y espanola, en esta ciudad de Londres, en Viernes 13 de Deziembre 1776…Que fue el dia de ayuno que se celebro por orden de su Magestad el Rey Jorge.

AUCTION 83 | Thursday, June 20th, 2019 at 1:00pm
Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Holy Land Maps, Ceremonial Objects, Fine & Graphic Art

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Lot 3
(AMERICAN-JUDAICA)

Moses Cohen d’Azevedo. Orden de la oracion que fue hecha en la synagoga de la nacion portuguesa y espanola, en esta ciudad de Londres, en Viernes 13 de Deziembre 1776…Que fue el dia de ayuno que se celebro por orden de su Magestad el Rey Jorge.

<<FIRST SPANISH EDITION>>. Text in Hebrew and Spanish. Title-page with signatures of Mrs. A. Abecassis (1904) and Moses Gaster. <<A Wide-margined copy.>> pp. (5), xxii, (1), 26. Ex-library with release stamps on first and last pages, browned. Modern royal-blue calf featuring a British rampant lion with a downward facing arrow (a reference to martial readiness) gilt-tooled on upper cover. Housed in matching solander-case. Sm. 4to. Vinograd, London 91.

London: William Gilbert 1776

Est: $30,000 - $50,000
<<Exceptionally rare and most notable, patriotic sermon>> preached in the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue Sha’ar Ha’shamayim, Bevis Marks, London, on the public fast day appointed by King George III to mark the revolt of the American Colonies and to pray for the success of the British. However the prayers of the community were not heeded, for less than two weeks following the fast day, George Washington made his surprise crossing of the Delaware River, critically boosting American morale and arguably turning the tide of the war in favor of the young republic. Born in Amsterdam, Moses Cohen d’Azevedo (1720-84) served for a time on the Beth Din of London’s Spanish & Portuguese community before being appointed Haham in 1761. This is one of only two known publications by him, the other being a sermon he gave upon the accession of George III to the throne. Perhaps both of these publications were intended to prove the loyalty of the historically self-conscious Anglo-Jewish community to the Crown. See: A. M. Hyamson, Sephardim of England (1951) pp. 182-3; M. Gaster, History of the Ancient Synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews (1901) pp. 131-141. <<WorldCat lists no copies worldwide.>>