Jewish American History!!
The Pinto Siddur
Prayers for Shabbos Moadim & High Holidays. New York, 1766
exceedingly rare!
Siddur for Shabbos and Yomim Noraim according to the traditions of Spanish and Portuguese Jews. Translated into English by Isaac Pinto.
The title page reads:
"Prayers for the Shabbath, Rosh-Hashanah and Yom Kippur,
with the Amidah and Musaf of the Moadim
following the tradition of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews.
Translated by Isaac Pinto
Printed by John Holt in New York.
A.M. 5526."
Isaac Pinto (1721-1791) was born to an illustrious family of Portuguese Rabbis. He immigrated to New York in the year 1751 and became a member of the Sephardic Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, the first Jewish congregation to be established in America.
Pinto made history with his translation, as he was the first Jew to translate prayers from Hebrew to English. This he did for the growing community that didn’t understand Hebrew well, and hoped that with the translation and understanding of the prayers it will improve their devotion.
The printing of this siddur in America was a milestone in the development of an autonomous community of Jews in America, independent of the community in London.
From the introduction; [Prayers in Hebrew] being imperfectly understood by many, by some not at all, it has been necessary to translate our prayers in the language of the country… not being the case in the British Dominions in America, has induced me to attempt a translation in English not with out hope that it will tend to the improvement of many of my brethren in their devotion (p3).
New York, 1766. John Holt Press., IV, 190 [1] pages. Page size: 18 cm.
Paper reinforcements of margins with damage to one word of text on page 21, otherwise good condition. Original American binding. (A.M.= Anno Mondi)
Goldman-Kingsberg Hebrew printing in America pg. 37-38
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