Lopez, Moses | The first Jewish calendar printed in America

Lopez, Moses

A Lunar Calendar of the Festivals and Other Days in the Year Observed by Israelites … The whole of which, having been carefully examined and corrected, its utility has obtained the voluntary acknowledgment and approbation of Rev. Mr. Seixas, the respectable hazan of the K.K. Shearith Israel in New York. Newport, Rhode Island: Printed at the Office of the Newport Mercury, 1806

Small 8vo (129 x 89 mm). Light text browning, more pronounced in quires Q–R. Contemporary calf paneled gilt. Full burgundy morocco folding-case.

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. 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 Sabbaths and festivals.