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Subject: Synagogues -- Louisiana -- New Orleans

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Consecration Service Sermon: Moses N. Nathan's Sermon at Nefutzot Yehudah Synagogue, New Orleans, May 14, 1850Consecration Service Sermon: Moses N. Nathan's Sermon at Nefutzot Yehudah Synagogue, New Orleans, May 14, 1850

Handwritten sermon delivered by Moses N. Nathan on May 14, 1850, at the consecration of the Nefutzot Yehudah Synagogue in New Orleans. The sermon, written in Nathan's hand just days after joining the congregation, seeks God's blessings on the new synagogue and its members. Isaac Leeser personally inscribed the date and details of the service on the manuscript. Accompanying materials include six letters from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser, beginning October 1, 1851, from New Orleans where Nathan became the Hazan for K.K. Beni Israel. Also included is a photostat from The Early Jews of New Orleans (Korn) describing the temple consecration and a printout of the entire sermon. This material is from the collection of Moses N. Nathan (1807-1883).

Invitation to the Consecration of the Shangarai Chasset Synagogue, New Orleans, April 1, 1845Invitation to the Consecration of the Shangarai Chasset Synagogue, New Orleans, April 1, 1845

Letter from A. Abrams, Secretary of the Shangarai Chasset (Gates of Mercy) Congregation, to Isaac Hart, inviting him to the consecration ceremony of their new synagogue in New Orleans on April 1, 1845. The letter mentions the involvement of L. C. Levy, Maurice Hart, Joseph Simon, and M. M. Simpson in the event. This letter is significant as a rare surviving record from the early years of the first permanent Jewish house of worship in Louisiana.

Letter from Henry Illowy to Isaac Leeser, August 21, 1865Letter from Henry Illowy to Isaac Leeser, August 21, 1865

Two-page letter written by Henry Illowy in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Isaac Leeser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 21, 1865. Illowy discusses his father's departure as rabbi in New Orleans and includes a commentary on the unsuccessful candidacy of Mr. Wechsler for the ministerial position.

Letter from Isaac Hart of New Orleans to Isaac Leeser, June 3, 1856Letter from Isaac Hart of New Orleans to Isaac Leeser, June 3, 1856

Four-page letter (8 x 10 inches) penned by Isaac Hart, a Jewish community leader in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 3, 1856, to Isaac Leeser. The letter details the coordination of Jewish benevolent associations, specifically the Ladies and Gentlemans Hebrew Benevolent Associations, and their newly opened Widow and Orphans Home. Hart describes the Home's administration, school, and daily activities, highlighting its positive impact on the community. He also mentions the progress of a new synagogue on Carondolet Street and the planned summer trip to northern cities by Mr. G. Kursheedt and Rev. Guttheim. The back page includes a list of new subscribers to the *Occident*.

Letter from Joseph Jacobsohn to Isaac Leeser Regarding the Reform Movement in New Orleans, June 28, 1865Letter from Joseph Jacobsohn to Isaac Leeser Regarding the Reform Movement in New Orleans, June 28, 1865

A five-page letter dated June 28, 1865, from Joseph Jacobsohn in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Isaac Leeser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The letter details the takeover of the Congregation Schaarey Chased synagogue by German young men from the North, their establishment of a Reform temple, and the subsequent resignation of Rabbi Bernard Illowy. It provides a firsthand account of the development of the post-Civil War Reform movement in New Orleans and the conflict between Orthodox and Reform Judaism.