Falk, Joshua ben Mordecai Hakohen. Sepher Avnei Yehoshua [“Stones of Joshua”: Philosophical Commentary to the Ethics of the Fathers

(AMERICAN JUDAICA).

“Jewish Messenger” Office

New York

1860

FIRST EDITION

Vinograd, New York 53; Deinard Koheleth America 4; Singerman 1653; Goldman 688

The First Rabbinical Text Published in America. The First Hebrew Book Printed in New York. Falk was well aware of the revolutionary aspect of issuing a Hebrew work of Jewish scholarship in the New World. His preface urged patrons to purchase the work in order to prove that books of this nature do indeed have a demand in America and consequently more such works would be printed there. The typsetter, Naphtali ben Kathriel Samuel of Thorn (Prussia), also recognized the book’s importance: “I give thanks that it was my good fortune to be the typesetter of this scholarly book, the first of its kind in America. Blessed be the God of Israel who surely will not deny us the Redeemer” (colophon). See A.J. Karp, From the Ends of the Earth: Judaic Treasures from the Library of Congress (1991) pp.316-7 (illustrated). According to Jacob Rader Marcus, Falk is remembeed as " The Father of American Hebrew Literature". No less an authority than Steinschneider extolled the virtues of the fine typography of this volume (Hebraishe Bibliographie, no. 28)