Ledger of the Ashkenazic community of Amsterdam, full protocols of beit din deliberations between [1723-1726]. Large, thick ledger, 265 leaves. 23:37 cm.
The ledger contains testimony, verdicts, and confirmations from the beit din; obligations of the parents of brides and grooms; wills approved by the beit din; commitment from the groom’s brothers, prior the wedding, that if the brother dies without children, they agree to do chalitza to the yevama; purchase of synagogue seats, and much more.
Documents over 1000 events. Notes primarily by Pinchas ben Elyakim, city scribe. Signed by witnesses: Shimon Shemesh and Yaakov Chazan.
The testimony, heard almost daily before the beit din, creates an authentic picture of Jewish life in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 18th century. Full names of hundreds of families who utilized the services of the beit din. The notes in this ledger are a very important source regarding the community history.
Modern, elegant leather binding. Preserved in a leather slipcase. Written on quality paper, with wide, clean margins. Most of the margins [about 60%] are blemished with dampstains and mold. The text has not been affected!
Punctilious usage of titles, such that their implementation indicates historic fact. The following is a short list of noted families that appear in the ledger:
‘HaAluf HaKatzin Eliezer Leizer ben Shimon Wolf Oppenheimer [p. 44]. ‘Ha’Aluf’ Elchanan ben HaRav Yehuda Leib Flesh [ibid]. Many businesses contracts of the family of Eliezer Lazi Minden. Philanthropist Leah bat Yeshaya Moshe Reitling, wife of Efraim Eling ztz”l. Ha’Aluf HaKatzin Aryeh Leib ben..Shlomo Zalman Emrich [p. 48]. Ha’Chatan Ha’Aluf HaTorani HaDayan ..Yosef ben.. HaRav Akiva Be’er with the bride the widow [p. 60. Second marriage, both parties with children]. Ha’Aluf Parnes U’Manhig Naftali Hirtz ben Uri [p. 61]. Original contract with signature of two owners of synagogue seats in the Roterdam, Synagogue [p. 74]. Bills from the Emring family [p. 75-76]. Business and contracts in the Nerdin community [p. 87-88]. Ha’Aluf HaKatzin Parnes U’Manhig Yosef Jozefow Halevi [p.122-123].
Original copies of contracts made in Metz, France and copied into his ledger on the 30th of Nissan, [1724], by HaIsha HaGevira Gali bat HaKatzin HaYashish Yosef Yuzuel Levi, widow of HaKatzin M.. Eizik Rofei. The contracts relate to her financial dealings and that of her brother-in-law HaKatazin..Aryeh Leib Emrich of Amsterdam. This is apparently a contract of a Jewish aristocrat in Metz and Amsterdam, [p. 129-130].
The above material is just a small, chance selection of information from a short, quick inspection of the ledger.