Bidspirit auction | Americana Judaica: Polemic against the

Americana Judaica: Polemic against the American Mission - Unknown Variant! The Victory - New York 1891? The First Documentation of Jewish Freedom of Expression in the USA - ”הנצחון, דער אונגעהייערער גרויסער זיעג פון יודענטהום איבער קריסטענטהום... ביי דעם איבערראשענדען רעליגיעזען פראצעס צווישען דעם אידישען פארשטייער עקספערט ס' ראזענטהאל געגען דעם קריסט א' קאמסטאק מיט א באנדע אידישע מיסיאנערען וועלעכע האבען אררעסטירט די צווי היסטארישע אידישע ביכער ”מעשי תלוי” און ”ישוע הנוצרי””. Freely translated: ”The Victory, the unprecedented great victory of Judaism over Christianity... during the surprising religious trial between the Jewish representative expert S. Rosenthal and the Christian A. Comstock with a group of Jewish missionaries who arrested the two historical Jewish books ”Acts of God” and ”Jesus of Nazareth”. [The title of the English booklet (not this one): The Victory In Special Sessions : the religious proceedings in Essex Market Court and in The Court of Special Sessions, which Anthony Comstock instituted by confiscating the book entitled Maase Tolui / by S. Rosenthal].  The vitroy of Jewish freedom of expression in an American court The booklet intorduces a legal-polemical historical record, documenting a formative legal and religious event in the history of American Jewry at the end of the 19th century. The book serves as a complete primary record of the legal proceedings held in a New York court in 1896. These proceedings were initiated after the authorities, led by Anthony Comstock - the infamous postal inspector and federal censor - filed a lawsuit against the publisher of a polemical Jewish booklet titled Toldot Yeshu: Sefer Maase Toloui (a version of Toldot Yeshu). The booklet was published as a sharp, defensive response to intensive Christian missionary activity targeting the Jewish immigrant population in New York. Shlomo Rosenthal documents the case, which the Jewish defense won, and presents the outcome as a total 'Zieg' (victory) over the forces of censorship and the Christian mission. The book is a critical document for understanding the struggle for freedom of expression and religious autonomy of the Jewish immigrant community in America. The author: Shlomo (Solomon) Rosenthal served as the documenter and chronicler of these historical legal proceedings. Rosenthal’s significance derives from the act of documentation itself: he transformed a complex legal battle, conducted in English legal language, into an accessible format for the Yiddish-speaking Jewish masses, thereby ensuring that the message and implications of the victory permeated the Jewish public consciousness. Beyond his writing, Rosenthal stood at the forefront of Jewish polemic during an era when the community was struggling for its cultural and religious standing. The Impact on Jewish publications in America: This 1896 court victory had decisive implications for freedom of the press and Jewish publishing in the United States.  Curbing the Censor: Winning the case against Anthony Comstock, who was known for his political power and his success in confiscating numerous materials, constituted an important legal precedent. It provided legal protection for Jewish publications that were perceived by Christiansas 'blasphemous' or 'obscene, ' thereby granting greater breathing room for Jewish writers and publishers to continue printing books, newspapers, and journals in Yiddish and Hebrewץ  Encouragement and support for the Jewish community: The public and legal 'victory' ratified the right of Jews, particularly immigrants, to defend their religion and publish polemical literature without fear of state-sanctioned religious persecution. This event bolstered the community's self-confidence and autonomy, transforming it into a vibrant and assertive publishing powerhouse. This item is a living testimony to the shaping of modern Jewish identity in America in the face of the challenges of censorship and assimilation. This book was apparently printed in New York, without the printer's name and without th eplace and year of printing. Based on the National Library, it was printed in 1891. It seems, however, that this date is incorrect; based on other estimates, it was printed approx. 5 years later. In his introduction, the author refers to New york and the date of January 9 in the year of ”שנת היום ג'לת'י ח'ר'פ'ת העמ'ים מעלי'כם. לפק”. However, the Gematria of this does not match any of the above estimates. It should be noted that there is a publication thanking Rosenthal for his legal activity in court. The Ridbaz' signature is included among the signatures of rabbis who signed the publication. The Ridbaz visited America for the first time in 1900 and apparently, this book was printed in this year.  This copy is completely different from other known copies! The title page of this copy notes the names of the books whose confiscation led to the trial; this line does not appear on the more familiar title page. Apparently,