Geniza Lab

Document in Yiddish. Dated: 5637 AM, which is 1876/77 CE. Recto: This fragment is a page of the accounts book of the Bikur Holim [Visiting the Sick] Society of Cairo for the year 1876–77. The Yiddish text lists the expenses of the Society for the year, but the fragment does not include the actual amount for each item. These expenses include those for staffing (for the Jewess of the hospital, the sexton, Doctor Hess), for laundry and cleaning, for repairs and upkeep, for ink and paper, and for postal fees. It lists costs for sending patients to the hospital as well as expenses incurred for handling the deceased, including costs for candles placed beside the corpse, cost of guarding the corpse and of cleaning the hospital after a death. A few specific family names are listed, including Shpiglman, Herman, Hess and Perets. Place names listed include Warsaw and Keshenof [probably Kishinev] The ledger page is signed by Yosef Berkovitsh who held the accounts of the Society. The page is stamped with the official stamp of the Ashkenazi Bikur Holim Society, which reads (in Italian): Società Soc{c}orsale de{gl}i Am{m}alati {della Communità} Israelitica Tedesca in Cairo 1867. Verso: This Yiddish fragment is a list of accounts receivable from people who have paid or are owing payment. Amounts are listed in 4 columns but the column headings are missing so it is unclear what each figure represents. Only a few family names are listed, including Stoler, Eynbinder, Zoger, Kats, Shmikler, Avtsi. Most entries are only by personal name. The amounts listed seem to refer to dues [uncertain - using the abbreviation Kh”d], pledges, circumcisions, guarding [the infant prior to circumcision], weddings and being called to the Torah on Passover. Information kindly provided by Agnes Romer Segal, January 2021.

Commentary on Isaiah in Yiddish (?).

Modern note in Hebrew and Yiddish, signed "J. Las[.]", labeled "10 Montefiori Coll."

Spell for protection while traveling. Very late. Verso is full of Yiddish text, probably related.

Text in Yiddish(?). Needs examination.

Letter dated on Monday June 15 1953CE from a person to al-maʿallim "Nanafafa" expressing his happiness in sending him a letter informing him that he is in good health and happy in his work, and expresses thanks to God – June 15 1953CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 134) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 50). MCD.

Fragment from the publication The Forward discussing fifty-five Jews from the armed forces (the organization of veteran fighters) and one Palestinian, and discussing the sentencing – August 16 1919CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 192) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 63). MCD.

Literary monologue given by Sholem Aleichem himself on traveling for mandatory conscription, and on a the lonely son and the world's almighty god – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 202) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 49). MCD.

Announcement by the Ashkenazi Jewish community of Cairo for the opening of a public clinic in the neighborhood of the communal synagogue on Rosette Gardens Street in Cairo – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 3) – in Yiddish and French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 52). A scan and translation of this document is available in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (p. 157-158). The original text in French reads: "Communauté Israélite Aschkénazi du Caire – Commision de Bienfaisance – Avis – Nous avons l'honneur d'informer l'honorable public du Caire que nous avons installé une clinque gratuite pour malades, sans distinction de nationalité, sons la direction du docteur A. Tonis, diplômé de l'Université de Genève (Suisse). Clinque ouverte tous les jours de 11 a.m. - 12 sauf Samedi et jours fériés, dans le local de la Cour du Temple de la Communauté sis rue Jardin Rosette." MCD.

Paper numbered as (2) and it seems that it is from a letter for a question regarding family and children, and a discussion on fasting, and the place of the child Rosa – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 63) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 49). MCD.

Literature work – story – discussing the story of a family – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 68) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 32). MCD.

Discussion from a broadcast about Shabbat – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 72) – in Yiddish. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 37). MCD.

Letter from Yiṣḥaq b. Yeḥiel. Dated: Friday, 23 Ḥeshvan 5310 AM, which is 1549 CE. In Hebrew, with phrases in Yiddish and many words in Judaeo-Italian. The sender rebukes the addressee for various lapses in business correspondence, including for sending partial documents and writing in terms of the currency "perahim" instead of "gerushim." This letter mentions Avraham Kolon (the sender of ENA 2727.45, Moss. IV,93, and HUC 1034). See also T-S Ar.30.232 + T-S NS 83.19, an account register by Yiṣḥaq b. Yeḥiel from later in the year 5310 AM (spring of 1550 CE). And see Avraham David's transcription and extensive notes on FGP.

Letter from Moshe Zussman, in Cairo, to his mother Rachel b. Avraham Zussman of Prague, in Jerusalem. In Hebrew and Yiddish.

Account register of Yiṣḥaq b. Yeḥiel, a dealer in carpets (tappeti = טפיטי, טאפיטי) as well as numerous other luxury commodities (nuts, drugs/perfumes, sugar from Crete, books, and more). In Hebrew, with many words in Judaeo-Italian and several phrases in Yiddish. Notably, there does not appear to be any Judaeo-Arabic. Location: Probably Fustat/Cairo (Miṣrayim). 3 bifolia. Dated: spring of 5310 AM, which is 1550 CE. Currencies: peraḥim, muayyadi (medin). The merchant makes purchases from various craftsmen (חרשים) in places like Venice, קאפרה, and אכיין. Very rich with details on 16th-century trans-Mediterranean trade, networks of merchants, demand for specific books, and more. The identification of the merchant's name is based on a letter that he sent earlier in the year 5310 AM (fall of 1549 CE): Moss. IIIa,9 + T-S AS 212.54–55 + T-S AS 214.40. Information in part from Avraham David's publications.

Yiddish translation of the siddur, including ʿAl ha-Nissim and Asher Heni' for Purim. Dated on paleographic grounds to the 15th century, making it the oldest known Yiddish translation of the siddur (as of the 1980s, at least). T-S NS 298.35 was published by Shmeruk and Romer-Segal, "Fragments of a Yiddish Translation of the Prayerbook from the Fifteenth Century" Tarbiz (1980/81). T-S AS 204.12 was published by Hopkins, "New Fragments of a Prayerbook in Old Yiddish Translation," Tarbiz (1986). T-S NS 37.110 was identified by Alan Elbaum, 12/2020, with the help of FGP Joins Suggestions.

Letter from an unknown man to Rachel Zussman. In Yiddish. "The letter is short and touches upon a relative’s illness and minor business matters. Verso contains a note, perhaps in the hand of Moshe, Rachel’s son, whose job it was to forward her letters on to Venice. It is likely, therefore, that this is a reply to Rachel from her correspondent, the Venetian rabbi Jacob Katz. The fact that this letter, Rachel’s note for Rabbi Katz and a letter from Moshe himself were all found in the Genizah, indicates that they probably never reached their destinations. We can only speculate about the reasons for that. But perhaps it is the son’s negligence in these matters that causes Rachel to scold him in another letter: הקב’’ה זול דיר עז מוחל זיין דז דו מיך האשט אוזו מצער גיוועזן (‘may God forgive you that you made me so sad’), before adding a somewhat more enraged איך וויל דיך שטראפן אי איך שטירב (‘I want to punish you before I die’)." Information from Esther-Miriam Wagner, "Vis, liber zun, ikh hob dir vil brif geshribn: Yiddish letters in the Genizah." [Genizah Research Unit, Fragment of the Month, October 2009]. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.55277

See T-S AS 205.53.

See T-S AS 205.53.

Letter from Rachel b. Avraham Zussman, in Jerusalem, to Yaʿaqov Katz, in Venice. In Yiddish. Dated: 16 Heshvan 5327 AM, which is November 1566 CE. Sent via Rachel's son Moshe in Cairo, who evidently never forwarded it to Venice.