A Guide to the Papers of Emily Phillips (1822-1909) (*P-202) American Jewish Historical Society Waltham, MA New York, NY Felicia Herman August 1995
Note to Researchers Special Note: This finding aid was completed in the summer of 1995 as part of a general search of the collections of the American Jewish Historical Society for archival holdings relating to American Jewish women. As such, this finding aid may only reflect those parts of the collection which pertain to women. This finding aid is not intended to be an exhaustive guide to this collection. Researchers should consult the collection directly for information not pertaining to American Jewish women and gender issues. Title of the Collection: Papers of Emily Phillips (1822-1909) (*P-202) Statistics: Number of containers: 1 box (.25 linear feet) Languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Yiddish Date Completed: August 1995 Access and Citation: These papers are open to all researchers deemed to be qualified by the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society. The original collection is available at the American Jewish Historical Society, 15 West 16 th Street, New York, NY 10011. A suggested form for citation is "[Item]. American Jewish Historical Society, [Collection name] [Box #]/[Folder #]." Property and Literary Rights: Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society.
Scope and Content Note The papers of Emily Phillips include material pertaining to the philanthropic activities of this daughter of Zalegman and Arabella Solomons Phillips. Included is interesting correspondence (form letters soliciting funds, mostly) from the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Palestine, flyers soliciting funds for the Sephardim in Palestine, including pre-addressed reply envelopes, and letters from various private institutions soliciting funds. Also included is some correspondence, and a printed New Year's Greeting Card from Palestine. The collection is valuable to researchers studying American Jewish philanthropy in the 19th century, Sephardic Jews in Palestine in the 19th century, and New Year's greeting cards. Of special interest is the printed announcement of the investiture of Jacob Saul ben Eliezer Elyasher as Haham Bashi, and a series of letters in which Simon Muhr, acting on Phillips's behalf, undertook to discover, through Lazard Freres, France, whether the claims of a petitioner were correct. Also interesting is a printed New Year's greeting signed by a petitioner. The collection contains printed and manuscript letters and flyers, correspondence, and a printed New Year's greeting card. The documents are in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, French and German. Box 1 Contents Letters from the Sephardic Chief Rabbi to EP Date 1893, n.d. Letters from Private Institutions to EP Letters from Private Individuals to EP New Year's Greeting Card
Emily Phillips (1822-1909) P-202 Letters from the Sephardic Chief Rabbi to Emily Phillips 1. Philadelphia, Feb. 20, 1893 - asking her for (more) money for the Sephardic community in Israel (Palestine) - "... I take the liberty to apply again to your noble heart and to solicit your help in favour of our six thousand poor, whose wants are at the moment much more felt through the approach of our holy fast of Easter [Passover?] - has the stamp of the Chief Rabbi, in English, Hebrew and Arabic on it 2. flyer, n.d., in Hebrew and English - "to help us to alleviate a little their great sufferings more especially so during the approaching Easterfeast so as to be able to distribute to them some Matza.... "As to the thousands of shameless calumniating libels spread abroad, against the Sephardim, by the central commity [sic] of the Askenazim of this city, - libels approved by the Rabbi Salant, - to which our central commity [sic] has abready [sic] answered in the news-papres [sic], the mere reading thereof will suffice to give light and to make void these [sic] undeserving calumnies." 3. flyer, n.d., in Hebrew and English - the Chief Rabbi, Mayer Panigal, has died - "How will we manage to have sufficient means for providing matza and a little money to 6000 poor! Would it be right and prudent to forget his poor bretheren and so cause jealousy to spring up in their hearts! Oh, no! You will never allow such a thing. You are His representative upon earth, who is King of kings and Distributor of all riches." 4. flyer, February 1893, in Hebrew and French - announcing the new Chief Rabbi, Jacob Saul Elyachar 5. pre-addressed reply envelopes Letters from Private Institutions to Emily Phillips 1. flyer from Eschel Abraham, an "Aschkenazische Pilgerhaus," in Hebrew 2. flyer from Misgav Ladach, a hospital, in Hebrew - with pre-addressed reply envelope 3. form letter from Misgav Ladach (hospital), in English _ with endorsements in English, French, German and Italian, from the Italian Consul, 2 U.S. consuls, and a representative of Edmund von Rothschild, as well as by 3 others: S.E.D. Samuel (London), H.J. Salomon London), and A.S. Warburg (Hamburg) _ further endorsements from a bunch of rabbis and other important men who have visited the hospital
Letters from Private Individuals to Emily Phillips 1. letter from a rabbi in Palestine, in Hebrew 2. letter from a rabbi's wife, Frau Feige Rokeach, in Palestine, in Hebrew 3. translation of #2 4. copies of letters to people (from Phillips?) asking them to deliver money to Mrs. Rokeach, but only to give it to her if she can prove that she needs it - whoever wrote these letters receives a great deal of "begging communications from Jerusalem," and wants to make sure that the money is really needed by the people who send the requests New Year's Greeting Card to Phillips from "Feige, wife of rabbi Moses Rockeach" - printed on a sheet of paper, with Jerusalem scenes on it