Letter from Rabbi Benjamin Jacob Katz to Isaac Leeser, Dulmen, Germany, August 27, 1822

A one-page letter written in Yiddish (with an English salutation) by Rabbi Benjamin Jacob Katz of Dulmen, Germany, to Isaac Leeser in Münster, Germany, dated August 27, 1822. This letter, written when Leeser was sixteen, is the only known surviving document from Leeser's formative years in Europe. It was found among his papers in America and is accompanied by a (tattered) English translation (likely from the 1930s or 1940s). The letter discusses Leeser's purchase of a testament, mentions plans to visit "Ulenbrutz" on Sunday, and includes greetings from the children at the Hebrew school (Cheder). The letter's back sheet serves as a cover and is addressed in German and English to "I. Leeser" in Münster, with a postal signature and postage price from Dulmen.

Associated People/Businesses

• Leeser, Isaac
• Katz [Cohen], Benjamin

Geography

No geographic information available.

Subjects

• Judaism -- 19th century
• Rabbis -- Correspondence
• German Jews -- History -- 19th century
• Yiddish language -- Texts
• Epistolography

Physical Location

Arc.MS.56, Box 3, Folder 4