Ten Letters and Legal Documents – The Portuguese-Jewish Communities of Amsterdam and Hamburg, 17th and 18th Centuries

Ten Letters and Legal Documents – The Portuguese-Jewish Communities of Amsterdam and Hamburg, 17th and 18th Centuries

Ten letters and legal documents from the Portuguese-Jewish communities of Hamburg and Amsterdam. 1643 to 1787. Portuguese and Spanish.
The community of Jews of Spanish and Portuguese origin in Hamburg, Germany maintained close ties with its larger and more established sister community in Amsterdam. The documents here – and in particular the letters sent from the Mahamad (the community's governing body) of Hamburg to its counterpart in Amsterdam – present a clear picture of intimate and ongoing relations between the two communities, and of their intense involvement in one another's daily affairs. The Hamburg community sought the advice of its Amsterdam sister regarding important milestones in its public affairs. Among Jews descended from the subjects of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions or from Spanish-Portuguese conversos, there was constant interchange between the two cities, in terms of family ties, marriages, trade, and more, and all these various relationships are dealt with in detail in the present documents.
Five of the letters were sent from the Mahamad of the Portuguese Jewish community of Hamburg to its Amsterdam counterpart: • Letter regarding the Hamburg Portuguese-Jewish community's plans to establish and organize an association, in light of the Amsterdam community's successful efforts to do the same. 1643. • A letter with a request for assistance in the matter of a certain individual by the name of Isaac Penso, accused of murder and wanted by the authorities, who was blackmailing the Hamburg community. 1658. • A letter with regard to the "Beth Din" (religious tribunal) constituted to adjudicate on a matter pertaining to the financial affairs of Dr. Benjamin Musaphia; the litigant was taking issue with the makeup of the tribunal, and the Mahamad was seeking assistance in its efforts to persuade him to come to an understanding in this matter. 1658. • Thank-you letter expressing gratitude for efforts to persuade one Isaac Calvo to desist from returning to Hamburg. 1670. • Letter of recommendation to the Mahamad of the Amsterdam community in the matter of Rabbi Jacob Sasportas who was leaving Hamburg and heading to the Levant on account of financial difficulties, and was in need of assistance. 1670.
The five additional documents are personal letters and legal documents dealing with trade, marriage, and other affairs: • Document wherein the undersigned testify that Rohiel Jesurum (Reuel Jesurun) of Hamburg has, in their presence, appointed his daughter, the wife of Moses Gideon Abudiente, as his heiress. 1664. • Letter dealing with the matter of the marriage of Abraham Abendana de Brito to Hannah Nahamias de Castro. Signed by Dr. Isaac Pimental and Joseph Abendana, uncles of the bridegroom's father, appointed by the father to mediate between him and the father of the bride; David De Nahamias, father of the bride; and Dr. Baruch (Benedict) Nahamias. 1671. • Letter of greetings and congratulations from David Abendana Mendes of Hamburg to his cousin Isaac da Costa of Amsterdam on the occasion of his marriage to Hannah Abendana Nahmias. 1749. Spanish. • Contract between Rabbi Solomon Salem and Abraham Jehisquia Bassan, according to which Bassan would become a licensed partner in a matzah-baking business venture accredited by the community, the license to which was entrusted to Salem's son, the minor Isaac Salem, for a period of 10 years. January 7, 1765. • Letter from Abraham Curiel Bueno of Maarsen, the Netherlands, to Moses Ricardo of Amsterdam, dealing with an apartment rental. 1787.
Enclosed: Two popular poems – a Sephardic Jewish romance and a love poem in Portuguese – handwritten on a folded sheet. Both poems have been documented in Jewish manuscripts miscellanies. In the present version, an additional verse has been added to the poem in Portuguese; this verse is not included in any of the other known sources. [Amsterdam, late 17th century or 18th century].
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.

A number of the names mentioned in the present documents – and those of a few of the signatories – represent key figures in the annals of the Sephardic communities of Amsterdam and Hamburg. Some of them are well-known personalities from Jewish history in general.
Rabbi Jacob Sasportas (1610-1698) was one of the Amsterdam community's great Torah scholars and one of the fiercest opponents of the Sabbateanism. Born in Oran, Algeria. Lived for periods of time in Amsterdam, Hamburg, London, and Livorno. Died in Amsterdam. Apparently, his plans to move to the Levant (probably Palestine), mentioned in one of the letters, never came to pass. His renowned Hebrew work, "Tzitzat Novel Zevi" (completed 1672-73), was an important contribution to his campaign against the Sabbatean movement.
Rohiel Jesurum (Reuel Jesurun) (1575-1634) was born in Portugal under the name Paulo de Pina to a family of conversos. At the age of 20 he set out for Rome with the intention of dedicating himself to monastic life, but there he encountered a relative of his who led him to rediscover his Jewish roots, which he enthusiastically embraced. Settled in Amsterdam, where he adopted his Hebrew name. In 1624, a religious play he wrote, entitled "Diálogo dos Montes" ("The Controversy of the Mountains"), was staged at the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Amsterdam. The play was based on a Rabbinic midrash involving a dispute between mountains regarding the privilege of being the place for the Giving of the Torah. Jesurun's son-in-law, the poet Moses Gideon Abudiente (1610-1688), was active in Hamburg and was an ardent follower of the Sabbatean movement.
Dr. Benjamin Musaphia (1606-1675) was born in Spain, and became a noted rabbi, physician, linguist, and author. He too was a follower of the Sabbatean movement.
Rabbi Solomon Salem (1705-1781), a rabbi and author, was born in Edirne (today Turkey) in the Ottoman Empire. Served as a rabbi for the Jewish communities in the Bulgarian town of Vidin and city of Sofia; Belgrade, Serbia; and finally Amsterdam.
Baruch (Benedict) Nahamias (de Castro) (1597-1684), physician and author, was one of the presidents of the Jewish community of Hamburg. Served as Royal Physician to Christina, Queen of Sweden. Also a follower of the Sabbatean movement.

List of Letters
1. Letter from the "Mahamad" (the community's governing body) of the Hamburg community to the Mahamad of the Amsterdam community, on the subject of establishing an association. In 1652, three separate congregations were united and incorporated into a single community association to be named "Beth Israel." May 15, 1643.
2. Letter on the matter of a certain individual by the name of Isaac Penso, accused of murder and wanted by the authorities, who is blackmailing the Hamburg community. The aforementioned is exerting great pressure on the community to submit to him documents that are liable to be incriminatingly damaging if revealed. The community had previously bribed this individual with substantial sums, and is now requesting the assistance of the Amsterdam community in this regard. September 16, 1658.
3. Letter from the Hamburg community to the Amsterdam community, on the subject of a "Beth Din" (religious tribunal) constituted to adjudicate on a matter pertaining to the affairs of Dr. Benjamin Musaphia; the aforementioned was taking issue with the makeup of the tribunal, and the Mahamad was seeking the assistance of the Amsterdam community to persuade him to come to an understanding in this matter. May 7, 1658.
4. Confirmation regarding the designation by Rohiel Jesurum (Reuel Jesurun) of Hamburg of his only daughter, the wife of Hakham Moses Gideon Abudiente, as his legal heiress. Hamburg, February 5, 1664.
5. Letter from the Mahamad of the Hamburg community to the Mahamad of the Amsterdam community expressing gratitude for efforts to persuade one Isaac Calvo not to return to Hamburg, insofar as said individual is a controversial and cantankerous figure who had responded with hostility and violence to the offers of hospitality extended to him in Hamburg. May 9, 1670.
6. Letter of recommendation from the Mahamad of Hamburg to the Mahamad of Amsterdam in the matter of Rabbi Jacob Sasportas who was leaving Hamburg and heading to the Levant on account of financial difficulties, and an expression of sorrow on the part of the community over the fact that it lacked the means to offer him adequate recompense. August 5, 1670.
7. Letter on the matter of the marriage of Abraham Abendana de Brito to Hannah Nahamias de Castro. Signed by Dr. Isaac Pimental and Joseph Abendana, the uncles of the father of the bridegroom, appointed by the father to mediate between him and the father of the bride; David De Nahamias, father of the bride; and Dr. Baruch (Benedict) Nahamias. May 6, 1671.
8. Letter of greetings and congratulations from David Abendana Mendes of Hamburg to his cousin Isaac da Costa of Amsterdam on the occasion of his marriage. May 7, 1749. Spanish.
9. Contract between Rabbi Solomon Salem and Abraham Jehisquia Bassan, according to which Bassan would become a licensed partner in a matzah-baking business venture in which Salem’s son, the minor Isaac Salem, is entrusted with the rights for a period of 10 years. January 7, 1765. Amsterdam.
10. Letter from Abraham Curiel Bueno of Maarsen, the Netherlands, to Moses Ricardo of Amsterdam, dealing with an apartment rental. April 18, 1787.