Bolsward Community Memorial Book, on Parchment. Historic Remnant of an Extinct Community. Holland, 1824

Bolsward Community Memorial Book, on Parchment. Historic Remnant of an Extinct Community. Holland, 1824

Handwritten memorial book on parchment that remains from an extinct small community in northwest Holland - Bolsward (near the large city of Leeuwarden, capital of the province of Friesland).

Large and impressive "memorial book" - "Yahrtzeit book" with details of the deceased that are memorialized in the book and their good deeds, designated for the cantor to call out from the bimah: "Yahrtzeit" and Av HaRachamim, the blessing for the new month and more, initiated by community leaders and supporters:

Rabbi Leiber-man, son of the gaon Rabbi Moshe Na"sh and his associate, Rabbi Yehudah Leib b"r Moshe Levi.

The compilation itself was written by Rabbi Kalman b"r Yitzchak Isaac.

In addition, at the beginning there is a list mentioning all the rabbis who served in the big city nearby, Leeuwarden, and it was apparently one of the associated suburbs.

The title page is illustrated in large letters with the [Hebrew] inscription "This is the gate of Hashem, the righteous shall enter through it" - "Memorial Book" and "The departed, the righteous whose souls are bound up in the bundle of life" and the names of the editors and the writer, the prayers: For the new month, Av HaRachamim and MiSheBerach.

Names of the rabbis mentioned who served in the city of Leeuwarden:

Rabbi Moshe ben Yoel Na"sh Av Beit Din of Shavel - [Lithuania].

Rabbi Moshe ben Rabbi Shaul, Av Beit Din of Amsterdam.

Rabbi Nachman ben Rabbi Ya'akov Segal, who served as Av Beit Din for ten years.

Rabbi Katriel ben Rabbi Yehuda, who served as Av Beit Din for twenty-two years.

Rabbi Yechiel Aryeh Leib ben [the above] Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe, Av Beit Din of Amsterdam, who served as Av Beit Din for seven years.

Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Yitzchak, Av Beit Din of Leeuwarden and Groningen and the provinces for nine years.

Rabbi Chaim Ish Lowenstam son of Rabbi Aryeh Leib, Av Beit Din of Rotterdam [son of the above Rabbi Shaul of Amsterdam], who served as Av Beit Din for fourteen years.

There are also names of distinguished men and women who donated significant sums for the maintenance of community needs, including the gabbai, cantor and rabbi, and prominent women with details of their righteousness.

[8] leaves written in scribal script, in beautiful block print on parchment. 31.5x20 cm. Semi-leather binding and marbleized paper. Very fine condition.