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 from a woman named Qamr, in Jerusalem, to her brother Moshe Farikh (פריך), in Fustat/Cairo. Dating: Likely early 17th century, based on A. David's identifications of some of the names.

Letter from an anonymous writer in Jerusalem to a certain Elʿazar, probably 16th century. The writer seems to genuinely yearn to travel to the addressee's location (Fustat?). First he was in Damascus, "and they did not let me leave. I do not wish to tell you all the respect they paid me." Due to the difficulty of leaving, he resorted to "a trick" and told them that he wanted to visit all the graves of the righteous in Palestine, so he left and his party traveled the country from Dan to Be'er Sheva. Then he came to Jerusalem, where the Sephardic congregation again refuses to let him leave. "They wish to catch me so that I preach to them every Shabbat. I escaped Damascus for this? And here these other ones are catching me, and I do not wish to stay with them." Summary based on Avraham David's transcription, who, however, reads "I escaped from Damascus for this" as a sincere statement. ASE

Personal letter from the head of the Babylonian community in Jerusalem (Adath HaBablim) to Mr. Yiṣḥaq Mordechai [Gabbay] seeking an explanation for why he has not been writing letters and similarly about items sent to Alexandria that have not arrived – 13 Iyyar 1922CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 10) – in Judeo-Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 52). This may be the same Isḥak Mordechai mentioned in MIAC 212. An original scan of the typewritten letter and Arabic-script edition of it appear in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (pp. 166-169). Although the letter sender's name is not included in the MIAC catalogue it is mostly legible in the scan as "Eliyyāhū Menaḥem Shemuel Zofiēl[?]." A portion of the letterhead is in English and states "Registered by the Jerusalem Govern. under act 3939/239." MCD.

Payment request by the "Nāmūha" association of a hundred qirsh contribution to the association by the bank "Kobān-Ān"[?] in Jerusalem in Palestine – May 30 1928CE – Museum of Islamic Art – number 102) – in French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 67). MCD.

Agreement contract for the printing of a book of sermons and exegesis on the Torah between the owner of a press in Jerusalem and Rabbi Yosef ʿAnībī – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 116) – in Hebrew. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 73). MCD.

Personal letter from Jerusalem – February 6 1953CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 118) – in Judeo-Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 57). MCD.

Letter from a person in Jerusalem – 28 March 1920CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 183) – in Hebrew. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 61). MCD.

Letter in Hebrew from a man, Yiṣḥaq _____[illegible], in Jerusalem to Samson, in Derbent, calling for him to immigrate to "Zion and Jerusalem." Dated 24 Av 5666AM, which is 15 August 1906CE. An original scan of the letter and an Arabic translation of it appear in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (pp. 195-199). Ḥasan and Sarrāj's reading of the letter's dating may be incorrect because in the scan the alphanumerical designation is as follows: "ב׳׳ה כ׳׳ד מנא׳׳ תרח׳׳ו - דרבנד קוקז / by [the assistance of God] 24 Men[aḥem] [5]614 - Derbend Caucasus" which would yield an alternative dating of potentially 18 August 1854CE. MCD.

Announcement from the Or Ḥadashi association addressing a friend in Jerusalem to participate in the commemoration of the day of "outbreak of hardship on Shabbat" and the services that are required for it and desired for particiption – 1938CE – Bassatine Cemetery – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 207) – in Hebrew. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 39). MCD.

Letter from the Babylonian community of Jerusalem to Isḥak Mordechai tasked with recovering "Ya'ir Nērū" in Egypt – June 26 1930CE – Bassatine Cemetery – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 212) – in Judeo-Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 45). MCD.

Personal letter from Jerusalem to Cairo – 28 May 1930 – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 212) in Judeo-Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 50). MCD.

Letter letting a friend know of the sender's arrival to Jerusalem – 27 September 1923CE– Museum of Islamic Art – (number 32) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 59). MCD.

Request presented by the president of the religious school in Jerusalem to the director of one of the synagogues in Egypt asking especially for monetary assistance for the religious school – April 1930CE – Museum of Islamic Art (number 7) – in Judeo-Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa. ed. Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 29). MCD.

Personal letter from a Jew residing in Jerusalem to Mr. David ʿAntabi in Cairo referencing his daughter's ketubbah – c. 1900 – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 95) – in Hebrew. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 51). MCD.

Letter fragment in Ladino from an old man who has arrived in Jerusalem and is having a hard time there. "La paz y salud. . . . Ya sabes mi venida aqui a Jerusalem y be-avonotay cayó poco bien. . . non hay ganancia. Ninguna aqui se puede ganar un solo darham nin. . . . [tie]nen oficios y caudal y son mansevos non se pueden mantener nin sostener. . . . tal hombre como yo viejo y sin oficio y sin dinero que hizo poco que. . . . y aun quedé adeudado de esta manera que un Siciliano. . . . que me trajeron (?) por seis ducados que me pusiesen. . . ." In essence, there is no work or money to be had in Jerusalem, even for young and healthy man, let alone for an old man like him. He is in debt. Needs further examination. Numerous names are listed on verso, perhaps everyone who is still back home and is to be greeted. Toledo is named. ASE.

Draft of a letter from Ishaq Sholal (d. 1524) to the yeshiva in Jerusalem. In Hebrew. Published by Avraham David in Cathedra 68, pp. 43–48. He has received their letters and has heard about the renewal of a certain controversy, and opines that the controversy remains groundless.

Fragment of a letter from Jerusalem to Egypt, beginning of the 16th century. The writer describes a financial/communal crisis that prevented the functioning of the weekly collections of money for the use of the community and for paying the taxes imposed by the rulers. Don Avraham b. ʿUqba attempted to mediate the conflict to no avail. In the margin the name Bū l-Faraj appears. On verso the writer alludes to conflict between the Maghrebi and Sefaradi populations. There is also a writing exercise in a different hand. Information from Avraham David. ASE.