Preface Vol 21

<plain_text><page sequence="1">Preface In conformity with its role as repository and transmitter of the history and traditions of the Anglo-Jewish community, the Jewish His? torical Society of England now issues Volume XXI of its Transactions. The volume appears four years after the twentieth and covers the period 1962-1967, with the addition of the earlier Presidential Address of Dr. Richard D. Barnett given in November 1959. There were strong hopes that, even though it would have covered a shorter period, this 21st volume in the Society's 75 years' history would have appeared rather earlier, but this was unfortunately not possible because the previous Editor, Mr. Walter Schwab, was compelled on medical advice to resign in 1965. It is fitting here to pay a warm tribute to Mr. Schwab, who, among other things, edited Volume XX, for his great service to the Society during the four years he held office. Indeed, much of the material in this present volume was first scanned by him and he has passed on several useful suggestions concerning it to his grateful successor. PUBLICATIONS During the period since Transactions XX was published, the following volumes have also been distributed to members: Weizmann and England, by Leonard Stein, O.B.E. Remember the Days?Essays presented to Professor Cecil Roth, edited by John M. Shaftesley. Israel and Elath: The political struggle for the inclusion of Elath in the Jewish State, by Eliahu Elath. The Jews of Medieval Norwich, by Vivian D. Lipman, with an appendix, The Hebrew Poems of Meir of Norwich. Besides these, a further limited distribution has been made, through the continued generosity of the Emeritus Chief Rabbi, Dr. Israel Brodie, of the second and third (final) volumes of his new edition of the Etz Hayyim of Rabbi Jacob ben Yehuda, Hazan of London. In connection with Remember the Days, an opportunity was warmly seized, on 22 May 1967, of holding a reception in honour of the scholar to whom the essays were dedicated, past President and constant helper of the Society, Professor Cecil Roth, and his wife, at University College London. Professor and Mrs. Roth stopped over specially in London on their way back to Israel from New York, and at the reception, presided over by the President of the Society, Dr. Vivian D. Lipman, a special leather-bound copy of the book, signed by contributors, was presented to Dr. Roth. The publication of The Jews of Medieval Norwich was also signalised in interesting fashion by an organised day outing on Sunday, 23 July 1967. Members of the Society and friends travelled to Norwich, where they were joined by members of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society and of the local Jewish community and toured the sites of the Jewish houses and synagogues there in the Middle Ages, visiting particularly the still-standing Jurnet's House. The party was received at the ancient Guildhall by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Norwich and other civic digni? taries, and copies of both The Jews of Medieval Norwich and Remember the Days (which also contains some material relevant to Norwich) were presented to the Lord Mayor on behalf of the Society; these books are now deposited in the Norwich Library. At the Cathedral the party was received by Canon Edwards (Vice Dean), and the Norwich Hebrew Congregation were hosts to the party at tea in the synagogue hall, where the opportunity was taken to present a copy of Dr. Lipman's book to the presiding Warden. To the whole party's sincere regret, Dr. Lipman, who was to have guided the tour, was prevented by sudden illness from attending, and his place as leader round the historical sites was taken at short notice by Mr. Edgar Samuel. The first volume of the Plea Rolls of the Exchequer of the Jews, edited by H. G. Richard? son, is still in the press and will be distributed as soon as possible. Miscellanies VII is in xi</page><page sequence="2">xii Preface preparation, and, subject to the completion of satisfactory financial arrangements for their production, two or three further interesting volumes on various aspects of British Jewish history will appear in due course. FINANCE It cannot be too strongly emphasised that the question of finance, especially in regard to the Society's publications, is of paramount im? portance. The Society's income from member? ship fees is not sufficient to cover the cost of producing all the books which members receive free, especially in these days of rising costs. It is only through the kindness of various generous benefactors, including the Edith and Isaac Wolfson Trust for Education, Dr. Oskar Rabinowicz, Mr. Ralph Yablon, and a Trust in the family of Sir Henry d'Avigdor Goldsmid that some of the books listed above have been made available for distribution. Great encouragement was given to the Society by a sizeable influx of new members during the year 1967 particularly, but even this was not enough, unfortunately, to avoid a reluctant decision by the Council that, if the Society was to aspire to pay its way, the annual subscription must be raised to three guineas as from 1 January 1968. The subscription had remained at two guineas since 1957. It has been found that a large number of new members were brought in by personal canvass. There is an obvious fund of untapped interest among Jews in this country in the many aspects of the history of their own community, and it only needs the active approach of members of the Society to their own friends to assure a further welcome influx. One other form of useful help to the Society is that of contributing to the Publications Fund, through either the Treasurer, Mrs. Dorothy Stone, or the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Ernest Ettinghausen, at the address of the Society. OFFICERS Three Presidents of the Society are repre? sented among the contributors to this volume: Dr. Richard D. Barnett, Dr. A. S. Diamond, and Dr. Vivian D. Lipman. Mr. Leonard Stein was President in 1964-1965, after Dr. Diamond. His Presidential Address, on Dr. Weizmann, was published as a separate volume. At Dr. Lipman's second Presidential Address, in November 1966, the chair was occupied by Lord Annan, the new Provost of University College London, in which position he succeeded Sir Ifor Evans. Lord Annan has become an Hon. Member of the Society, and Dr. Lipman and the new Chief Rabbi, Dr. Immanuel Jakobovits, have been added to the dis? tinguished list of Vice-Presidents of the Society. Dr. Lipman, after two years in office, has been succeeded as President for 1967-1968 by Professor Sir Isaiah Berlin, C.B.E., President of Wolfson College, Oxford. Sir Isaiah's Presi? dential Address will also be published in due course. Other changes in office are those of Hon. Secretary, where Mr. Ernest Etting? hausen has been elected in place of Mr. Colin Franklin, resigned, and of Editor of publica? tions, where Mr. Walter Schwab has been succeeded by Mr. John M. Shaftesley. MEETINGS The list of meetings held since the publica? tion of Transactions XX, besides the two special events noted above, is as follows: 1964 April 15. Mr. Patrick Green, F.G.A.?Jews in the Diamond Trade: An Historical Appreciation. May 13. Mr. Leonard Hyman?Hyman Hurwitz: The First Anglo Jewish Professor (owing to the lamented death of Mr. Hyman before the date set for this meeting, the paper was read in his stead by his son, Mr. Robin Hyman). June 10. Dr. Phyllis Abrahams?From Berdichew to Bevis Marks: The Life of Abraham Sussman. November 11. Mr. Leonard Stein, O.B.E.? Presidential Address?Dr. Weizmann and England. December 9. Mr. James Ogden, M.A., B.Litt.?Isaac D'Israeli and Judaism (Mr. Ogden's essay has been published in the Hebrew UnionCollege Annual (Cincinnati), vol. 37, 1966, pp. 211-222).</page><page sequence="3">Preface xiii 1965 January 6. Rabbi Dr. Alexander Carlebach, LL.D.?A Belfast Centenary: Joseph Chotzner (1844-1914), First Minister to the Belfast Congregation. February 3. Mr. Lionel Lambourne, B.A.? Fashion and Decadence: Abraham and Simeon Solomon?Two Victorian Jewish Painters and their Family Circle. March 3. Mr. Joseph W. Scott, B.A., A.L.A. ?The Mocatta Library in University College, London. April 7. Mr. G. David Guttentag?The Jewish Community of Newcastle upon Tyne. May 5. The Rev. B. S?sser, B.A., O.C.F.? Jews of the West Country. June 2. Dr. Erwin Rosenthal, M.A., D.Phil., D.Litt.?Jewish Scholarship in Nineteenth-Century England. July 5. Dr. G. F. J. Bergman?The Jewish Convicts of Australia, 1788-1840. November 10. Dr. Vivian D. Lipman, M.A., D.Phil., F.R.Hist.S.?Presidental Address? The Anatomy of Medieval Anglo-Jewry. December 8. Mr. H. G. Richardson, M.A., B. Sc, F.B.A., F.R.Hist.S.?Jews and Christians in Thirteenth-Century England (read in Mr. Richardson's absence by Mr. A. F. Mabbs, of the Public Record Office). 1966 January 12. Mr. Robert W. Speaight, C. B.E., M.A., F.R.S.L.?Paintings of the Ghetto: Rothenstein and Others. January 24. Guided Tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition at the British Museum, in conjunction with the Anglo-Israel Archaeo? logical Society, the Society for Jewish Study, and the B'nai B'rith. March 16. Dr. Richard D. Barnett, M.A., Litt.D., F.S.A., F.B.A.?Moses Cassuto's Travels (1733-1743). April 13. Mr. Israel Finestein, M.A.?Arthur Cohen, Q,.C, 1829-1914. May 4. Mrs. Sonia Lipman, B.A.?Judith Montefiore: First Lady of Anglo-Jewry. June 8. Mr. Eliahu Elath?Lucien Wolf Memorial Lecture?The Political Struggle for the Inclusion of Elath in Israel, 1947. November 16. Dr. Vivian D. Lipman, M.A., D.Phil., F.R.Hist.S.?Presidential Address? The Rise of Jewish Suburbia. December 7. The Rev. Raymond Apple, B.A., LL.B.?Rabbi Jacob Levi Saphir and his Voyage to Australia. 1967 February 8. Guided Visit to Bevis Marks Synagogue. February 15. Mr. Elkan D. Levy, B.A., M.H.L.?Anglo-Jewry in the Great War, 1914 1916. March 8. Mr. Norman M. Cohen, F.C.A.? Non-religious Factors in the Emergence of the Chief Rabbinate. April 5. Mr. Edward H. Jamilly, A.R.I.B.A. ?Patrons, Clients, and Developers. May 3. Rabbi Louis Jacobs, B.A., Ph.D.? References to England in Phineas Elijah Hurwitz's 'Sefer Ha-BritV (1797). June 7. Miss U. R. Q. Henriques, M.A., B. Litt., Ph.D.?The Controversy over Jewish Emancipation in Nineteenth-Century Britain. November 15. Professor Sir Isaiah Berlin, C. B.E., M.A., F.B.A.?Presidential Address? Disraeli, Marx, and the Search for Identity. December 13. Mr. Lewis Edwards, M.A., F.S.A.?The Duke of Sussex and his Jewish Friends. December 1967 John M. Shaftesley</page></plain_text>