Four large notebook leaves on which Jacob Mordechai (1762-1838) summarized in dense hand theological ideas about the creation of the world and the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People, and three pieces of paper on which he wrote outlines for ideas dealing presumably with the weekly Torah portion and holidays. [USA, late 18th century or the first decades of the 19th century]. English, some Yiddish and some Hebrew.
The four large notebooks leaves contain theological ideas about the creation of the world and the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People from the work "Discours sur l'histoire universelle" by French theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet and from one of Catholic French philosopher Francois Philippe Mesenguy's works (presumably, "Abbrégé de l'histoire de l'Ancien Testament").
The three small pieces of paper deal with ideas deriving more directly from Judaism: one, in Yiddish, deals with the interpretation of biblical Joseph's names; the second interpreting the Hebrew word "שית" and the third refers to the verse "O Israel, return to thy Lord thy God".
Jacob Mordechai (1762-1838) merchant and educator, a Jewish pioneer in the American south. He was the son of Moses Mordechai, a German Jew who lived in England, where he married Elizabeth Whitlock, an English convert to Judaism. Mordechai Sr.'s business failed and, failing to pay his debts, he was exiled as a convict indentured servant. After serving his time, Mordechai Sr. settled in Philadelphia. At the age of 13, Jacob Mordechai served as a rifleman, escorting the Continental Congress from Frankford into Philadelphia. For a time, he worked as clerk to David Franks, who was a commissary for the British prisoners during the American Independence War. Franks was accused of treason and arrested, and Mordechai turned to commerce, married, and after trying his luck in several places settled in Warrenton, a small town in North Carolina, where he opened a country store.
After his wife Judy's death, Mordechai married her younger sister, Becky. Their store failed, and Mordecai took the position of steward of the local boys' academy. When the academy closed, the family opened their own girls' academy. Mordechai headed the school and taught several classes, with his older children, all of whom received extensive education, teaching other classes. His eldest daughter, Rachel, one of the best-educated women in the state at the time, ran the school alongside her father. The school emphasized the importance of scientific education and knowledge in an era when girls' schools emphasized manners, etiquette and appropriate occupations such as embroidery and music. The school was a success; but when Mordechai had to retire, buying a farm near Richmond, Virginia, his financial situation worsened again. He spent his final years in Richmond, where he was one of the founders of the Beth Shalom synagogue.
Mordechai was the only Jew in the remote town of Warrenton, where books of any kind were scarce. In this environment, Mordechai stood out as a scholar. He was fluent in the Bible and highly knowledgeable in the Christian and secular literature of his time. An apologist, his writing strived to explain Judaism in light of Christian attacks. In addition, in the absence of ready-made textbooks, he wrote ones for the
students of the private girls' school he headed. As a Jewish headmaster directing a school attended by daughters of Christian well-established families – an unusual sight – Mordechai strived to pass on to his students the values of enlightenment which he embraced. The school celebrated Jewish and Christian holidays alike and demonstrated complete tolerance for any religious belief. Mordechai's writings were never published; these notes may belong to his apologia or the educational material he wrote.
[4] leaves (written on both sides), approx. 33X20 cm; [3] small pieces of paper, size varies. Good condition. Tears, small open tears and wear to margins. Minor stains.