Prayers for Shabbath, Rosh-Hashanah and Kippur...According to the Order of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. Translated by Isaac Pinto

(AMERICAN JUDAICA).

John Holt

New York

1766

FIRST EDITION, first issue. English text with Hebrew titles of prayers provided in English transliteration.

Singerman 40; Rosenbach 47 (illustrated); Goldman 32; Evans 10344; Sabin 62292; Karp, Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress, p. 301.

The First Complete Jewish Prayer-Book Printed in the New World. One of The Singular Most Important Printed Books of Jewish Americana. Highly scarce first state of title-page with the incorrect spelling “BEGINING.” As the leaders of the Jewish community in London forbade an English translation, the creation of this work called for some justification. Isaac Pinto states in the introduction: “[Hebrew] being imperfectly understood by many, by some, not at all; it has been necessary to translate our Prayers, in the Language of the Country wherein it hath pleased the divine Providence to appoint our Lot. In Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese Jews have a Translation in Spanish, which as they generally understand, may be sufficient; but that not being the Case in the British Dominions in America, has induced me to Attempt a Translation in English, not without Hope that it will tend to the Improvement of many of my Brethren in their Devotion.” Pinto was a member of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Shearith Israel, the only Jewish Congregation in New York City from 1654 until 1825, which comprised perhaps some 400 Jews. Pinto also was a merchant and teacher of Spanish, his English text here is based on Nieto’s Spanish translation. According to a brief note on the front free endpaper, written in 1823 by Sarah Lloyd Cogswell, this prayerbook was presented by Isaac Pinto to Dr. James Cogswell, a patriot on George Washington’s staff, a philanthropist and one of the principal originators of the New York Dispensary system, as well as of a society for the relief of distressed debtors and of the first African school in New York City. The Cogswells were related by marriage to the Fisher family, subsequent owners of the volume. Provenance: Presented by Isaac Pinto to: Dr. James Cogswell (d. 1792); Sarah Lloyd Cogswell (1786-1848); Reverend Samuel W. Fisher (1814-1874); Florence Fisher, (fl. 1910). A rare American imprint, only a handful of first editions of the Pinto Prayer-Book have surfaced at auction in the past 25 years. This particular first edition, first issue, is even more scarce.