(SEPHARDICA).

David de Meldola

Amsterdam

1788

Azevedo, David Cohen d'. Triumphos da virtude: Sermaõ pregado, a occasiaõ do natalicio de sua altesa serenissima Guillermo V°, Principe de Orange e Nassau, Stadhouder Hereditario…Celebrado na Synagoga dos Judeos Portugueses de Amsterdam [Triumph of Virtue: Sermon Delivered on the Occasion of the Birthday of His Majesty William V, Prince of Orange and Nasau, Hereditary Stadtholder…Celebrated in the Synagogue of the Portuguese Jews in Amsterdam on the 8th day of March of the Year 1788]

Kayserling, p. 15; Gans, Memorbook, p. 197

D'Azevedo (d. 1792) was the Haham of the Spanish-Portuguese community of Amsterdam. During his tenure, the Netherlands was witness to clashes between Patriots and Orangists. In 1788, the Jews of the realm swore their allegiance to Prince Wiliam V in a ceremony conducted in Amsterdam’s Town Hall, led by Haham D'Azevedo. Later in the year, Prince William V and his wife, Princess Wilhelmina thanked the community by participating in a synagogue service. After their reception by the “Reverend David Cohen d'Azevedo, Chief Rabbi of the Nation,” who blessed the Royal couple, the Prince responded, with greetings spoken in the Hebrew language. See Gans, Memorbook (1977), p. 197.