Rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, the first ordained rabbi to travel to the Americas, arrived in Reci... more Rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, the first ordained rabbi to travel to the Americas, arrived in Recife, Brazil in 1642. The writings of Aboab from his time in Recife reflect the feelings of multitudes of rabbis who would serve in the New World after him. The poem and vidui (confession) which Aboab wrote while in Brazil (which can be found in Hakhmei Recife Ve-Amsterdam) convey the sentiment of the New World as a state of rabbinic exile. They also reflect the challenge of guiding a community entrenched in the economic opportunities offered in the Americas.
Jewish legal (halakhic) responsa serve as important historical sourc‑
es, shedding light on the i... more Jewish legal (halakhic) responsa serve as important historical sourc‑ es, shedding light on the issues and personalities contained therein. This article demonstrates how this tool may be utilized in the study of American Jewish history. Specifically, it shows how responsa on the permissibility of turning a church into a synagogue reflect personal and group conflicts on the Lower East Side during the community’s forma‑ tive years. The responsa highlight the local disputes between rabbinic figures, such as Abraham Joseph Ash, Judah Mittleman, and Joshua Segal, as well as broader intra-communal conflicts between those of Lithuanian and Galician origin.
Rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, the first ordained rabbi to travel to the Americas, arrived in Reci... more Rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, the first ordained rabbi to travel to the Americas, arrived in Recife, Brazil in 1642. The writings of Aboab from his time in Recife reflect the feelings of multitudes of rabbis who would serve in the New World after him. The poem and vidui (confession) which Aboab wrote while in Brazil (which can be found in Hakhmei Recife Ve-Amsterdam) convey the sentiment of the New World as a state of rabbinic exile. They also reflect the challenge of guiding a community entrenched in the economic opportunities offered in the Americas.
Jewish legal (halakhic) responsa serve as important historical sourc‑
es, shedding light on the i... more Jewish legal (halakhic) responsa serve as important historical sourc‑ es, shedding light on the issues and personalities contained therein. This article demonstrates how this tool may be utilized in the study of American Jewish history. Specifically, it shows how responsa on the permissibility of turning a church into a synagogue reflect personal and group conflicts on the Lower East Side during the community’s forma‑ tive years. The responsa highlight the local disputes between rabbinic figures, such as Abraham Joseph Ash, Judah Mittleman, and Joshua Segal, as well as broader intra-communal conflicts between those of Lithuanian and Galician origin.
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es, shedding light on the issues and personalities contained therein.
This article demonstrates how this tool may be utilized in the study
of American Jewish history. Specifically, it shows how responsa on the
permissibility of turning a church into a synagogue reflect personal and
group conflicts on the Lower East Side during the community’s forma‑
tive years. The responsa highlight the local disputes between rabbinic
figures, such as Abraham Joseph Ash, Judah Mittleman, and Joshua
Segal, as well as broader intra-communal conflicts between those of
Lithuanian and Galician origin.
es, shedding light on the issues and personalities contained therein.
This article demonstrates how this tool may be utilized in the study
of American Jewish history. Specifically, it shows how responsa on the
permissibility of turning a church into a synagogue reflect personal and
group conflicts on the Lower East Side during the community’s forma‑
tive years. The responsa highlight the local disputes between rabbinic
figures, such as Abraham Joseph Ash, Judah Mittleman, and Joshua
Segal, as well as broader intra-communal conflicts between those of
Lithuanian and Galician origin.