Jacques J. Lyons and Abraham De Sola. A Jewish Calendar for Fifty Years.
AUCTION 68 |
Thursday, April 07th,
2016 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Ceremonial Objects and Graphic Art
Lot 336
(AMERICAN JUDAICA).
Jacques J. Lyons and Abraham De Sola. A Jewish Calendar for Fifty Years.
Montreal: John Lovell 1854
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
PRICE REALIZED $1,100
In addition to calendars for 1853 to 1903, the most important feature of this volume is that it contains the first Jewish communal directory published in North America: A detailed twenty-five page survey of synagogues, societies and other Jewish institutions across America, Canada and the Caribbean. The inclusion of such a communal survey was likely the initiative of Rev. Lyons (1813-1877), a native of Surinam and Minister of New York’s Shearith Israel congregation. Lyons was the first to express a serious interest in American Jewish history and actively collected communal data.
Abraham De Sola (1825-1882), a native of London, moved to Montreal to assume the pulpit of Shearith Israel of that city. De Sola was the first Jew to be awarded a Doctor of Laws degree in the English-speaking world and became senior professor at McGill University. Despite being both a Jew and a British subject, de Sola was invited by U.S. President Grant to deliver the convocation at the opening of a Congressional session. Both Lyons and De Sola were vigorous upholders of traditional Judaism.