Hymns Written for the Use of the Hebrew Congregation

Charleston, South Carolina: Congregation Beth Elohim, 5616. 8vo. (6 5/16 x 4 inches). xv, [1], 212 pp. Ownership inscription to front endpaper "Miss Emily Oppenheim." Contemporary blind-embossed black morocco, signed "Welch & Harris Binders," skillfully rebacked preserving original boards; spine with gilt rules and gilt lettering in the second compartment.

A foundational American Jewish liturgy, and one of the most enduring contributions of a pioneering Jewish woman to the Reform movement. Second edition, revised and expanded.

This expanded second edition of Hymns Written for the Use of the Hebrew Congregation, published by Charleston's (truncated) historic Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, is among the earliest Jewish hymnals printed in America, and a landmark of both Jewish and women's literary history. Authored largely by Penina Moïse ("P.M."), one of the first American Jewish poets and a leading voice in early Reform Judaism, the volume contains 190 original hymns, many of which are still in liturgical use today. Moïse, born into a prominent Sephardic family in Charleston, was the first Jewish American to publish a book of poetry and became a vital figure in religious education at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, one of the oldest synagogues in the United States and widely recognized as the birthplace of American Reform Judaism. Her hymns, composed for use by congregants and children alike, emphasize Jewish heritage, resilience, and moral instruction, combining literary grace with spiritual clarity.

Singerman 1424. (Inventory #: 40232)