Sabato Morais Collection

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Sabato Morais Collection

1851-1897

http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/UPENN_CAJS_ARCMS8USUSUSPUCJS

The Morais Papers can be divided roughly in half primarily between correspondence and writings. The earliest materials in the collection date from 1845 and the latest from just before Morais' death in November of 1897. The bulk of the collection is concentrated from after the time when Morais came to the United States in 1851 through 1897, and especially after 1876. The collection contains valuable information on Jewish life in Philadelphia in the second half of the nineteenth century, and provides new insight into Morais' role in the development of the Historical school of nineteenth century Judaism in American (precursor of American Judaism's modern Conservative movement) and the founding of its central institution: the Jewish Theological Seminary, in New York. Morais also maintained a life-long correspondence with family members, friends, and teachers from Italy, whose letters (in Italian) are rich in number and variety. Several personal items, such as a copy of Morais' will as well as his certificate of membership in the Order of Free Masons, from Italy, are found in the collection. In addition, Morais' ordination discourse written in his own hand as well as his (rabbinical) ordination certificate from Italy are also held; the original ordination certificate, written on parchment and signed by Rabbis Piperno, Curiat and Alveranga, explicitly describes Morais as ordained, employing the language of "semikhah" (ordination). The collection also contains numerous manuscripts and drafts of Morais' various sermons and lectures. As noted above, Morais was an outspoken supporter of a wide variety of causes such as abolition, (Native American) Indian rights, the protection of the Chinese working in the United States, protection of children and animals, supporter of the improvement of the status of women. Morais also received numerous appeals to help indigent Jewish communities, especially from Palestine.

11.5 Linear feet (22 document boxes)

sam, Hebr

heb, Hebr

eng, Latn

ger, Latn

arc, Hebr

fre, Latn

ita, Latn

spa, Latn

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7139072

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library

Related Entities

There are 10 Entities related to this resource.

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Luzzatto, Samuel David, 1800-1865

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Felsenthal, Bernhard, 1822-1908

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Luzzatto, Isaia, 1836-1898

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Biography Samuel David Luzzatto (also known under the acronym of SHaDaL), an Italian Rabbi, poet, grammarian and scholar of Hebrew letters, was born in Trieste on August 22, 1800, and died in Padua on September 30, 1865. Luzzatto wrote his first Hebrew poem at the age of nine, and by 1815 he had composed thirty-seven poems (later included in the two volumes of Kinor na'im, Vienna 1825 and Padua 1879). His translation of the Ashkenazi prayer b...

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Collecting area: Materials dealing with all aspects of Jewish life. From the description of Repository description. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155524648 The Jewish Theological Seminary of America moved into its new campus at 3080 Broadway in the Morningside Heights section of New York City in 1930. The complex was designed by the architectural firm Gehron and Ross, with David Levy, Associate Architect. The construction of the buildings was funded by donations from Louis ...