Bidspirit auction | Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro:

Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro: A Refugee and the Son of a Refugee. New York 1939 - Presentation copy from the author to Judge George L. Quilici - Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro: A Refugee and a Son of a Refugee (Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro: A Refugee and the Son of a Refugee). By Rabbi Morris A. Gutstein - rabbi of the Touro Synagogue in Newport. Published by Behrman's Jewish Book House, New York, 1939 - First edition - Inscribed and signed by the author: “With kindest greetings to Judge George L. Quilici Morris A. Gutstein Sept. 10, 1944”. A unique book about two key Jewish figures from Newport, Rhode Island: Aaron Lopez - a Portuguese-Jewish merchant (a former converso) who became one of the wealthiest and most influential individuals in Newport prior to the American Revolution. Judah Touro - the son of Isaac Touro (who served as the cantor of the famous Touro Synagogue). Judah was a great philanthropist who donated vast sums to Jewish and general institutions, including funding the establishment of the Mishkenot Sha’ananim neighborhood in Jerusalem. The book was written in response to growing voices in the United States seeking to prevent the entry of Jewish refugees into the country. This was at the height of the arrival of refugees fleeing Nazi persecution to America by every possible means, in the shadow of the approaching war and the intensification of antisemitism. As the author writes in the introduction to the book: “In these essays, the aim has been to present a true picture of Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro and their contribution to our country. In these days of propaganda and agitation against refugees seeking shelter in America, on the claim that they aggravate our economic difficulties, it is fitting to remember that our country was built through the energy and initiative of immigrants and strangers who came to this land as refugees from persecution in other lands, and enriched this country rather than worsening its economic difficulties...”. Rabbi Morris Aaron Gutstein (1905–1987), a prominent American rabbi in Newport, Rhode Island, and in Chicago, Illinois, and a historian known primarily for his work on the history of the Jewish community in colonial Newport. After completing his rabbinical studies, Gutstein became the rabbi of the famous Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in America. George L. Quilici (1897–1969), to whom the book is dedicated, was a respected judge from Chicago, a social activist against fascism, and a prominent figure in the Italian-American community. He was known for his involvement in the struggle against discrimination and for the advancement of civil rights. XII, 116, [4] pages. Very good condition.