Letter from Jonas Bondi to Isaac Leeser;November 08, 1854 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Jonas Bondi to Isaac Leeser;November 08, 1854

Author

Jonas Bondi

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

8 November 1854

Location(s)

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 2 page(s) on 1 sheet(s).

Letter

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Hebrew

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3z60cn76/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3z60cn76

Physical Characteristics

Lined Paper

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries

content

Wednesday, 17th of Hesvan (Nov), 1865.
Peace and all good forever:
To this day I am without a word from you. My low spirits in-crease from day to day. Herewith you will receive the beautiful article about which you must certainly be thinking and in which my honest prin-ciples are expressed.
You would be doing a great kindness if you could print it also in German with English letters, but in any case it must be transla-ted. Perhaps you would have printed several hundred copies of the article as a circular, in order that it might be more widely spread over the land.
I feel very unhappy here. I have the notion to have my “Esther” printed there and to stay there during the printing, and give there lectures about history and religion. That should bring something in. In this way I could support and encourage your efforts with regard to the seminary. The honor belongs to you. I had enough of it at home. Here it is a case of “He who increases knowledge increases pain”. Here one must be either a Wise or, on the other hand, an Illoway. Both of them “This one as he understands it and this one as he understands it”, but they are alike in character.
I tell you this idea in secret, and if you agree, I shall write to Weiler and Ellis...... I must work openly, otherwise I shall be destroyed , God forbid, As a friend of six years' standing, you owe it to me who never changed his word, just as you owe it to me who never changed his word, just as you owe it to the Torah that is in me, to do everything possible. “A prisoner cannot release himself from the prison”.
As soon as you have translated the article, I want the manuscript. I should also very much like to see the proof sheet of the English. The matter is too important. A word incorrectly put may be injurious.

What I told you today is avery great secret under the great-est seal of silence.
With sincere respect,
Your friend and admirer,
Jonah Bondi
I may not see or near any one here.

Identifier

LSDCBx3FF4a_13

Date

1854-11-08