Geniza Lab

Announcement on an important meeting of the Jewish communities of Egypt at the site of the Ismaʿīli Synagogue in Cairo, on the finances of the communities – May 19 1947CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 167) – in French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 51). MCD.

Invitation from the union of Jewish religious institutions to the general public for the foundation of a cooperative enterprise for kosher meats – 25 April 1947CE – (number 17) – in Arabic and French translation. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 44). MCD.

Letter covering family matters – [dated June 29 1923] – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 170) – in Hebrew. (information translated from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 51). An original scan of the letter and Arabic translation of it appear in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (pp. 190-194). The letter covers the inheritance of two brothers' shares in a piece of real estate (they are Sālim and Yaḥyā al-Sharfī. It refers frequently to a legal document (שטר) connected to the property that the two letter signers, David Barim[?] and Sālim b. Yosef Binyamin, are each confirming to have seen or currently maintain in their possession. Their statements at the end of the letter have a probative legal tone, for example: "אני הצעיר שכותב מכתב זה ראיתי השטר שהוא מאושר ומקויים שהקרקע כל[?] שני האכים". MCD.

Announcement regarding the program of ceremonies for the Ibn Yuḥay Institute for Culture and Righteousness in which the Minister of Social Affairs, the Chief Rabbi of Cairo, and Chief Rabbi of Alexandria are speaking – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 171) – in Arabic and French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 46). MCD.

Letter reporting a donation to the Jews of Palestine, and the aforementioned currency is in the "Palestinian pound" – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 178) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 75). The mention of the Palestinian pound in this source helps to date this letter to post-1927 after the currency system was first established. MCD.

Appeal from a charitable organization for the marriage of poor women to the people of the community – 21 January 1943CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 18) – in Arabic and translated in Latin script. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 44). MCD.

Request from the women's committee on the donation of used clothing for the poor of the Jewish community – Bassatine Cemetery – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 181) – in French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 49). 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.

Personal letter beginning with a prayer and reporting that the rain did not fall so they prayed until the rain fell then salutations and regards – undated – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 185) – in Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic in rashi script. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 50). 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.

Personal letter of correspondence on the arrival of beer, zaʿatar, and the like – 27 Elul 1928CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 190) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 67). MCD.

Announcement from the Jewish association of charity and brotherhood to participating members in the funds of al-Kūrātšīyūt[?] paid in their contributions from the previous year – June 6 1939CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 191) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 66). MCD.

Invitation to the dinner in celebration of "Purim" at the community center on Faruq Street – 24 March 1940CE – Bassatine Cemetery – (number 193) – in French. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 46). MCD.

Personal letter sent from Aden – 1928CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 195) – in Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 50). MCD.

Announcement of the Jewish community in establishing a religious institution for the training of faith leaders, kosher slaughterers, and mohelim beginning with the sending forth of a delegation to Palestine on account of the circumstances of the war and the establishment of an optical clinic – during the Second World War – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 197) Arabic- and French-language. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa. ed. Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 28). MCD.

Letter sent to Kẖawaja Shalom by a friend welcoming him upon his arrival – December 21 1925CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 199) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 57). MCD.

Announcement for the observance of the Day of Geniza for clusters of texts in the Bassatine Cemetery – 18 December 1949CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 2) – in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 34). A scan of this fragment is available in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (p.155) and there may be a second copy of the same announcement in the possession of the MIAC as shelfmark 200. MCD.

Letter – 1933CE – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 20) – in Italian. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 59). MCD.

Announcement for the Day of Geniza on which old prayerbooks unfit for repair will be transferred to the cave in the Bassatine and the process will take place at 8:30am from the Ustāḏ Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter after the "Shahrit" [morning] prayer – Sunday 18 December 1949CE / 27 Kislev 5710AM – Museum of Islamic Art – (number 200) in Arabic. (information from Ḥassanein Muḥammad Rabīʿa, ed., Dalīl Wathā'iq al-Janīza al-Jadīda / Catalogue of the Documents of the New Geniza, 43). An original scan of this announcement is available in Al-Janiza wa-l-maʿābid al-Yahūdiyya fī Miṣr (p. 200). MCD.

Letter in which one Jew is reporting to another about receiving Italian citizenship – 24 November 1913CE – (number 204) – 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.