Letter from Morris S. Oppenheim to Isaac Leeser;February 17, 1852

Title: Letter from Morris S. Oppenheim to Isaac Leeser;February 17, 1852
Author: Morris S. Oppenheim
Contributor: Isaac Leeser
Date Created: 17 February 1852
Location(s): London; Philadelphia
Format: Letter. 4 page(s).
Type: Letter
Language(s): English
Has Format: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3bz61v33/manifest.json
Link to Colenda: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3bz61v33
Physical Characteristics: Unlined Paper; Wax Seal; Manuscript
Is Part Of: The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries
content: London
Sussex Hall
Feby 17. 1852
Rev Isaac Leeser
Dear Sir
I received with great pleasure your letter of the 25th Novr and can assure you that I esteemed it an honor to receive a communication from one so well known by his literary reputation both in America & England
I can assure you that my business during the months of December & January occupies so much of my time that I am precluded from attending to any private matters, and the letter which I received from my brother in Cincinatti by the mail which brought me your favor was only answered last week. This explanation will I hope be considered by you satisfactory, and an ample apology for not replying to you ere this.
I think it better to have to state openly to you the reason why I cannot undertake to percure subscribers for your Bible, than to lead you to believe that I am either unwilling or too lazy to attempt to do so. You are aware that Dr. Berusch who is in intimate terms with me announced some time ago his intention of publishing a translation of the Bible, and when it was intended to form a committee for the purpose of aiding him pecuniarily in the task I acted as the Honorary Secretary of the same. That plan being abandoned & the doctor undertaking the task in his own respon-sibility I lent him my assistance in procuring subscribers and the first part of the work viz the Pentateuch is already in the hands of 600? subscribers I need not tell you that a person on the spot has a great advantage over one living at a distance. D. B has announced his inten

intention of continuing the work and I may add that the same is ? at this ? by the permission of the marrying committee, Dr. Berusch having been for many years connected with the society. As Secretary of the Institution & as a friend of the doctor, and having already interested myself for the success of the work, you will perceive that it would not be possible for me to canvass for subscribers to your Bible, and if I were to do so, you must be aware that the English Jews would give the preference to a work published here, as doubtless the Americans would do & have done to one printed in the United States. I do not consider that Mrs. ? makes a good agent for the Occident my brother writes that you informed him that Mr Franklin had led you to expect great assistance from him in the circulation of the work, but I may say that as he was unable to make his own paper succeed it ought not to surprise you that he was unable or perhaps to procure a ? favorable reception for another editors work. I will endeavour to procure you some subscribers for the occident but the Jews here do not like subscribing to foreign Journals and when the L'Ouivers? was first published I could only procure for him ? 2 subscribers & he has only 6 in London.
Yours however being written in our native tongue ought to meet with a better reception, but as the Jews subscribe to the Jewish Chronicle which they like (at least many of them,) altho there are many opinions on the merit of the paper as a literary organ, they are not eager to subscribe

for another. I must express my surprise that in the United States occupied by so many Jews you can not find supporters enough, for the "Chronicle is supported here altho many are very dissatisfied with it.
I cannot say who was the person who corres-ponded for your paper under the signature of O. I have been often asked whether I was the writer & can assure you that I was not.
To reply to your request that I should write a monthly letter for your Journal in the state of Jewish affairs in England, I will undertake the task with pleasure if you think I can be of any service to you. I should wish to remain incrg—for I do not like as I am holding public offices to write under my name as I might feel my opinions obacstled if therefore you wish me to do as you have requested a letter in reply to this shall have in return my first letter to the occident which I will sign Hebrew that being my name in hebrew.
Should you ever intend paying us a visit inthis, thinking that a personal interview with our co-religionists in this city, would lend to give a larger circulation to your periodical I shall be most happy to see you & render you every assistance in my power
I am
Dear Sir
yours Truly
Morris S. Oppenheim

Morris S. Oppenheim
London
Revd Isaac Leeser
371 Walnut Street
Philadelphia
U. S. America
per Steamer)
Identifier: LSDCBx1FF9_5
Date: 1852-02-17

Part of Letter from Morris S. Oppenheim to Isaac Leeser;February 17, 1852

Morris S. Oppenheim, “Letter from Morris S. Oppenheim to Isaac Leeser;February 17, 1852”, 1852-02-17, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 7, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/68265