Richardon’s Almanac, 1859

This general almanac includes a Jewish calendar and a list of Richmond synagogues and rabbis (p. 17). The calendar provides the dates of Rosh Chodesh and each of the Jewish holidays (with explanations of the origins of some). It also contains a schedule of “the hour to commence the Sabbath” each week, by way of listing one approximate time per four-week period. The Jewish community of Richmond, Virginia, was one of the earliest in North America and antedated the American Revolution. The inclusion of a Jewish calendar in a general almanac testifies to the importance of the local Jewish community and the esteem in which it was held