Boy, was he miffed…and he made no bones about it either.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005

Three page neatly penned letter (each on separate sheet each blank on reverse); in the hand of and signed by prominent Louisville, KY Rabbi ANDOLPH S. MOSES (1840-1902) the distinguished Judaic scholar to Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf of Phila., then an influential member of the board of the Jewish Pub Society, Dec. 31, 1888 from Louisville. He opens, in no uncertain terms: “you [sent] me a plain letter and I will answer you in plain words. You ask, why is Louisville silent? Last summer I addressed a letter to you in which you placed my personal influence and my literary ability at the disposal of the Association. You did not deign to reply. My friend Dr. Gottheil proposed me as a member of the Publication Committee. His request has not yet been complied with. You write that manuscripts are already accumulating. I have not even been requested to be a contributor. If men of my ability are not urgently invited to do their best work for the association and are to make themselves useful only as canvassers, who is to furnish the literature which will be worth printing ? I dare say, I am one of those who have done and still can do some original literary work, though you and your associates have probably never taken the trouble to ascertain what I have accomplished as a writer. I am heart and soul for the Association but [it] is expected to raise up the best Jewish talent in this country to put forth its best efforts. I have for several years been busy with a critical historical work, but the contemptuous silence with which I have been treated gives me little hope that book will be taken up by the Association. Do I refuse to join hands with you ? Heaven forbid ! But I do not wish to be looked upon as a cypher. I will this very week begin to solicit subscriptions. But, I confess, that my enthusiasm has somewhat cooled off. I shall answer Simon Wolf tomorrow.” Paper aging. Shows that it was merely torn from a notebook of Moses with the rough tear marks only at the very top of the wide upper margins. Few tiniest short edge tears from fold, but all easily intact and no words obscured. Moses had an impressive earlier history; in 1859 he fought with Garibaldi’s freedom movement in Italy; in 1863 he joined the Polish insurrection against Russia and taken prisoner; his unhappy prison experience was detailed in his novel about the episode. His first to pulpit was in 1870 in the Montgomery, Alabama and then Mobile. Accepting the Louisville pulpit in 1880 where he remained until his death. He was a force in Reform Judaism and the cultural life of Louisville. (With a photostat of a fine bio sketch.).

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).