The Spirit of Judaism: שמע ישראל

Philadelphia: The American Hebrew Publishing and Printing House; The Bloch Publishing and Printing Company, 5624. Third edition. Hardcover. Fair-Good+. Octavo. 263, [1]pp. Contemporary brown cloth, with gold lettering on spine. Publisher's logo on title page. Originally published in 1842, "The Spirit of Judaism" is Grace Aguilar’s first major work. It was well received by many Jews and Christians on both sides of the Atlantic, and was used as a teaching text in some synagogues and even Protestant churches until the 1950s. In "Spirit of Judaism," Aguilar meditated on the significance of the Shema. She polemicized on behalf of both English tolerance and Jewish religious reform. She called for a vernacular translation of the Bible and changes in Jewish childhood education. And she offered a new vision of the spiritual needs of women in general and Jewish women in particular. Discoloration spots on spine and covers. Previous owner's stamp on title (Dr. David Jacobson). Binding in overall poor to fair, interior in good+ to very good condition. About the author: Grace Aguilar (1816-1847) was an English novelist and writer on Jewish history and religion. As a child she showed great interest in history, especially Jewish history. The death of her father lead to her writing to support herself. In 1842 she published "Spirit of Judaism," in defence of her faith and its professors; and, in 1845, published "The Jewish Faith" and "The Women of Israel" in the United States. She is, however, best known by two of her novels, "Home Influence" (1847) and "A Mother's Recompense" (1850). In 1847 Aguilar's health began to deteriorate and she died that year in Frankfurt.

Singerman #1813.