Lyons, Jacques J[udah] and De Sola, Abraham. A Jewish Calendar for Fifty Years

Replete with Manuscript Entries Noting Events in the Lives of the Hendricks and Tobias Families between the Years 1853-1874, as Recorded by a Member of the Family. In addition to providing annual calendars for 1853 to 1903, the volume contains the first Jewish community directory, surveying synagogues, societies and other Jewish institutions across America, Canada and the Caribbean. What is truly unique about this particular copy of the Calendar is that it has been interleaved with events in the lives of the extended families to which the writer, Hermoine Hendricks Tobias belonged. It was the desire of the writer to preserve for posterity, year by year, the precise dates of life-cycle events,births, deaths, marriages, as well as other events deemed of significance. Written with commendable precision, records the cemeteries where family members are buried and locations where marriages were solemnized. Thus, reads the first entry, for 21st September 1853 "Adelaide J. Hendricks married to T. Jeff. Tobias on Wednesday Sept 21/53 at her father's house 1/13 Bleecker Street." (Adelaide was Hermoine's niece, daughter of her brother Uriah Hendricks). The final entry, for 20th April, 1874, reads: "Henry H. Tobias and Washington (Tobias) his partner commenced the Banking and Brokerage business with Francis (Tobias) as their clerk under the Firm name of H. H. Tobias & Bro. this day at No. 26 Broad St." (Henry Harmon, Washington and Francis were three sons of Hermoine). At times, Hermoine pasted in newspaper-clippings of the events. While the overall tone of Hermoine's reportage is factual and objective, the sentiments of a wife and mother surface - as when she records the death of her husband: "Alfred Tobias died at 1 minute past 12 o'clock, January 12th 1873 from disease of the heart...was attended in his last moments by his wife (in whose arms he died) and all of his children. Was buried at Cypress Hills by (Rev.) J.J. Lyons." Or when she notes her sons' synagogue performances: "May 8, 1869, Francis H. Tobias Barmitzva this day, he said his portion in Schule beautifully, taught by Rev. J. Lyons, portion Behukotai." "Dec. 2/71 My son Florian Barmitzva this day, was called to the Sepher and only said his blessing, the same having been taught him by his brother Francis." Not all Hermoine's entries are restricted to her family circle. There are entries of general interest as well: "Feb. 1/68 Rev. Isaac Leeser died of cancer in Philadelphia." - "June 23/68 Rev. Morris J. Raphall died of apoplexy." Some of the information Hermoine provides is at variance with that recorded elsewhere and may be cause to revise that information. Thus on the very first page of the interleaving, Hermoine records the dates of her maternal grandparents Joshua Isaacs (d. 1810) and his wife Brandly Lazarus (d. 1825) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as well as those of all their children, including Hermoine's own mother Frances Isaacs (1783-1854) wife of Harmon Hendricks (d.1838). Cross-referencing to Malcolm H. Stern's comprehensive geanealogy Americans of Jewish Descent (1960), p. 91 reveals contradictions. Where Stern has Hannah Isaacs born July 7, 1792, Hermoine has her maternal aunt Hannah born "7 Sept. 1792." Likewise on that same page, Hermoine records the death of her brother Washington Hendricks on "March 18, 1841," whereas in Stern's reckoning the death took place on March 16, 1841. This manuscript Calendar is a treasure-trove of historical information pertinent to the study of the American Jewish community of the mid-nineteenth century.