Gal-Ed [tombstone epitaphs of the old Prague cemetery]

LIEBEN, KOPPELMANN and RAPOPORT, SOLOMON JUDAH LEIB (SHIR).

M.J. Landau

Prague

1856

FIRST EDITION. Text in German and Hebrew. Inscription on front free end paper indicating an entry making reference to the Golem of Prague

Vinograd, Prague 1487

A valuable source for the history of Prague. Records over 170 epitaphs from the old Jewish cemetary of Prague including that of the reknown MaHaRa”L of Prague. Rapoport refutes the belief that the Grand Rabbi ever created the famous "Golem" or used any other supernatural powers as a display of his extensive esoteric knowledge. Rapoport (1790-1867) became Chief Rabbi of Prague in 1840. His leanings towards Haskalah and secular learning placed him under attack by the Chasidim and others. Despite this, he opposed the educational decisions of the contemporary Reform rabbis on the basis of their divisive nature and assimilationist tendencies. Leiben, a Prague scholar was the actuary of the community's burial society