Letter from Jacob Herzog to Isaac Leeser, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1856

One-page letter written in German from Jacob Herzog to Isaac Leeser on December 12, 1856, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The letter announces the chartering of Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, lists its officers (Abraham Hirsch, VP; Simon Erlanger, Sec; Henry Lieben, Treas; L. Baum, Trustee; Joseph Strauss, Trustee; Jsav Mann, Trustee), and provides the congregation's name in Hebrew. This letter documents the establishment of the first congregation in Lancaster since the late 1700s and reflects the second wave of German Jewish immigration to the United States. Later, Herzog was accused of receiving stolen goods, lost his standing in the community, and committed suicide in December 1858.

Associated People/Businesses

  • Leeser, Isaac
  • Herzog, Jacob
  • Congregation Shaarai Shomayim (Lancaster, Pa.)
  • LEESER, ISAAC / HERZOG, JACOB

Geography

Subjects

Physical Location

Arc.MS.56, Box 3, Folder 1