Monday, February 22, 2010

An invitation by Abraham Jacob Leon, the Meah Shearim proselyte.

I came across a very interesting little pamphlet on HebrewBooks.org called הגרים - גרי הצדק בארץ ישראל, which was published in 1932. On page 4 Rav Kook writes about a ger he knew named Abraham Jacob, who had been a minister in New York. He and his family converted, and moved to Jerusalem. He was known as Leon the Ger Zedek. Rav Kook recounts meeting him in 1906.



Interestingly enough, the 7th volume of the New Era Illustrated Magazine (1905) includes a picture of his son Benjamin, along with his wedding invitation:





This invitation and photo was owned by J. D. Eisenstein. Although the invitation does not have the year, the Friday in which August 12 and the 10th day of Av coincided was 1894. The wedding took place in the relatively new Jerusalem neighborhood Meoscheorim.

The groom was 16 years old.