Geniza Lab

Letter in Hebrew dated 1778/79 CE (539 = ותקוה טובה) from the Jewish community of Jerusalem to the Jewish community of Pisa begging for financial aid. The sum of 75,000 arayot is named. Among other distressing events, there was a terrible famine in the preceding year. Their sheliḥim are Eliyyahu Ẓevi, Yaʿaqov Burla, and Yaqar Gershon. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1781/82 CE (542 = מבשר) from the Jewish community of Jerusalem to the Jewish community of Pisa begging for financial aid. A sum of 8,000 arayot is named. Their shaliaḥ is Yosef b. Robi (? יוסף ן רובי). ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1791/92 CE (552 = וינטלם וינשאם) from the Jewish community of Jerusalem to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid, naming a sum of 70,000 arayot. Their shaliaḥ is Mordekhai ha-Levi. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated April/May 1807 CE (Nisan 567 = ונשמחה בכל ימנו), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, specifically the head judge Yiṣḥaq Gallico (יצחק גאליקו), begging for financial aid. Their shaliaḥ is מרדכי אשיאו.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1688/89 CE (תגילו = 449), from the Jewish community of Izmir to the Jewish community of Pisa, following the economic distress in the aftermath of the 1688 Izmir earthquake. It seems that the community of Pisa had been accustomed to sending charity to communities of the Ottoman Empire (ארצות קוסטאנטינה) but this practice had lapsed. Now, the government is demanding a payment if 15,000 of a certain currency (line 7). They already sent their shaliaḥ Yosef ha-Levi, and this letter is intended to encourage them to be generous with him. Note that the Italian on the final page was probably added in 1917, as with the other documents in this folder. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1726/27 CE (487 = בל תמוט), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of the heavy taxes imposed on them. Their shaliaḥ is Daniel Kafsuto (קאפסוטו). ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1726/27 CE (487 = לך לאות), begging for charity from the Jewish community of Pisa. The writers, in Istanbul, call themselves פקידי א״י, and indeed it seems they are writing on behalf of the community in Jerusalem. Their shaliaḥ is Moshe Yisra'el. ASE

Letter in Hebrew dated 1735/36 CE (496 = קרן לעמו), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of a heavy tax of 10,000 גרושו׳ that has been imposed on them. Their sheliḥim are Ḥayyim Yaʿaqov and Me'ir de Segura (named 6 lines from the bottom). The Latin script on the final page (Zafed 5496 K. K.) may actually be original. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1747/48 CE (508 = בשרו), from the Jewish community of Tiberias to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of debts owed of 10,000 arayot. Their shaliaḥ is Masʿūd Bonan. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1759/60 CE (520 = תהֿלה לכֿל), from the Jewish community of Tiberias to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial help. They include interesting details about political struggles and unrest in the Galilee and a month-long siege of Tiberias. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1766/67 CE (527 = וה(י)כינו את (אשר) יביאו) from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial help to the tune of 15,000 gerushim. They recount a fascinating tale of a Jewish man who 'purchased the tax' (=the tax farming rights under the malikane system) from the rulers for 6,000 gerushim. They knew this would turn out badly, but he refused to listen. Later, he was unable to render the full amount demanded by the rulers, so he was clapped in irons, "and died on account of the fright." It seems that now the rulers are demanding that the community itself make up the deficit. There is a somewhat mysterious episode about an evil man who wishes to bring his minions to live in a certain house. The "Italian congregation" of Safed (ק״ק איטאלייאנוס) is mentioned. Their sheliḥim are Yisrael Benveniste and Ḥayyim Mordechai Būnan (their power of attorney is the next shelfmark). Note that the gematriya in fact adds up to 537, corresponding to 1776/77 CE, but one of the yods should probably be ignored, because the power of attorney is clearly dated 527. An earlier cataloguer thought the same (see note on final page). Merits further examination. ASE. MCD.