A Lunar Calendar, of the Festivals, and Other Days in the Year, Observed by the Israelites, Moses Lopez, Newport, Rhode Island: Office of the Newport Mercury, 1806

66 leaves (5 7/8 x 3½ in.; 150 x 90mm). COLLATION: A-I⁴, K-Q⁴, R²=66 leaves, Some foxing to free endpapers, somewhat browned throughout; manuscript birth notations; owners' notations on title and several free endpapers; institutional seal lower corner, f. B¹; Calendric tables throughout. Modern calf overlaid with earlier, perhaps original, tree calf. gilt stamped titles on modern spine in five compartments.

Zalegman (Ezra) Phillips(1779-1839) whose signature appears on the title page; by descent to his son: Henry M Phillips (1811-1884), probably before 1819, numerous instances of his signature inscribed on the free endpapers; by descent to: the ”Misses Phillips” (probably Henry’s two unmarried  sisters Ellen and  Emily); donated by them in 1892 to the American Jewish Historical Society (as recorded on page 124 of Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, Issue 1) and the Society's embossed seal on folio B1; subsequently deaccesioned by AJHS and later purchased by the present owner.

Singerman 0163; Michael Satlow, "Jewish Time in Early-Nineteenth-Century America: A Study of Moses Lopez’s Calendar" American Jewish Archives Journal, Vol. LXV, 2013, nos. 1 & 2, pp.1-29.

THE FIRST JEWISH CALENDAR PRINTED IN AMERICA

For Jews everywhere, a calendar with corresponding civil and Jewish dates is an essential household and congregational need as Jewish holidays and observances fall on different civil dates each year. It is thus no surprise that the second book published for American Jewry was Moses Lopez's fifty-four-year calendar, covering the years 1805-1859.

Among the supplementary material is a table for determining "the Hour to commence the Sabbath, in the City of New-York," which "may, with a small variation, answer well for all the Northern States of America." This useful table was originally compiled in 1759 by Rev. Hazan Joseph Jessurun and American Jews continued to consult it until at least the 1850s. Also included is a table listing the Torah and Haftarah readings for the Sabbaths and Festivals.

This copy originally belonged to Zalegman (Ezra) Phillips (1779-1839) whose signature appears on the title page. Zalegman Phillips was one of the leading criminal lawyers of Philadelphia and active in that city’s Jewish community, serving many years as Parnas to Congregation Mickve Israel. The calendar  records the births of Zalegman’s  first four male offspring ( Jonas: July 22, 1806; Henry: June 30, 1811; Gabriel: Feb 12, 1815; and Naphtali: August 30, 1817).

Most likely passed to his son Henry M Phillips (1811-1884). There are several reasons to believe that this book was given by Zeligmann to his son Henry during Henry’s youth (including the numerous childlike instances of Henry’s signature inscribed on the free endpapers), and probably before 1819. While the birth dates of Zeligman’s first four sons are recorded, the birth of Henry’s youngest brother Levi (Mar 9, 1819) is not recorded. This would argue for the calendar to be out of Zalegman’s possession by that time and already in the possession of Henry, who would go on to become a lawyer, congressman, and financier. In 1856 he was elected  to the House of Representatives as a member of the thirty-fifth United States Congress and served between 1857-59. After his stint in Congress, he served on numerous public and private boards and commissions in his native Philadelphia. He died in 1884. [Another copy of the calendar, belonging to Zeligman's son (and Henry's brother) Naphtali, is  owned by the Rhode Island Historical Society.]

Following his death in 1884, the book passed to the ”Misses Phillips” (presumably Henry’s two unmarried sisters Ellen and  Emily).

In 1892, the book was donated by the "Misses Phillips" to the American Jewish Historical Society (as recorded on page 124 of Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, Issue 1) and the Society's embossed seal on folio B1. Later sold, and subsequently acquired by the present owner.