First Hebrew Book Written and Published in America
This first Hebrew book published in the United States, aside from the Bible or prayer books, is a commentary on the Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers]. It was written by Joshua ben Mordecai ha-Cohen Falk, an itinerant preacher who immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1858. As noted on the title page, the book was printed at the offices of the Jewish Messenger, a weekly published in New York City. The typesetter, Naphtali ben Katriel Shmuel of Thorn, added a colophon to the end of the book, giving thanks for his good fortune in setting the type for the first Hebrew book written and published in America.
This first Hebrew book published in the United States, aside from the Bible or prayer books, is a commentary on the Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers]. It was written by Joshua ben Mordecai ha-Cohen Falk, an itinerant preacher who immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1858. As noted on the title page, the book was printed at the offices of the <em>Jewish Messenger</em>, a weekly published in New York City. The typesetter, Naphtali ben Katriel Shmuel of Thorn, added a colophon to the end of the book, giving thanks for his good fortune in setting the type for the first Hebrew book written and published in America.