Ledger of the Chevra Kadisha of the Musta'arabi Community in Jerusalem – With Additions and Signatures by the Yisa ...

Ledger of the Chevra Kadisha of the Musta'arabi Community in Jerusalem – With Additions and Signatures by the Yisa Berachah and Jerusalem Rabbis – 1853-1857

Manuscript, ledger of income and expenses of the Chevra Kadisha of the "Moriscos community" (Musta'arabi Jews), with signature and additions handwritten by R. Yaakov Shaul Elyashar – the Yisa Berachah, and signatures of Jerusalem rabbis. 1853-1857. Hebrew and Ladino.
Ledger in pocket-size format. Oriental script, by several writers. Replete with hundreds of entries, names and details relating to the Chevra Kadisha's affairs and activities in Jerusalem, in the mid-19th century. The present item is a highly valuable documentary source on the Jews of Jerusalem at the time.
The ledger belonged to a gabbai named "Chaim Dan, called Ya'ish". His name, "Chaim Dan", is inscribed on the spine of the binding, and his name appears many times in the ledger. The entries were written by several writers, including R. Yaakov Shaul Elyashar – the Yisa Berachah (who later served as Rishon LeTzion). The ledger also contains several inscriptions with sums of accounts by other Jerusalem rabbis (listed below), with their signatures.
At the top of the first page: "Account of mitzvot of the Morisco community Chevra Kadisha. We have summed up the account from Rosh Chodesh Adar I 1853… and we have begun a new accounting starting 18th Nisan 1853". Here and in several other places (for example, on p. 19a), the expression "sons of the city" is used, apparently in reference to the Musta'arabi community, who were the early residents of the city.
The ledger contains many entries detailing the Chevra Kadisha's income (pp. 1a-10a; 22b-27a), including many inscriptions on the passing of people in Jerusalem, most of whom are mentioned without a name but only by their origin; for example: "Ashkenazi", "Maghrebi", "of Thessaloniki", "of Istanbul", "of Izmir" (for example, on p. 2b: "an old man of Izmir in the yeshiva of R. Y. HaLevi"), and more.
Sometimes the entry mentions the "courtyard" where they passed away (as in p. 7b: "an Ashkenazi in the courtyard of R. Yisrael Madpis" – R. Yisrael Bak, the famous Jerusalem printer), or that they passed away in a hospital, a Jewish "kosher hospital", a non-Jewish "non-kosher hospital" (see enclosed material), the English Hospital, in the "Hekdesh" or elsewhere. Likewise, the entries mention the burial plots: "Sanbuski", "Burak", "Zechariah", "Chassidim", "Attias".
The income includes inscriptions on donations, sometimes with the name of the donor added (for example: "by R. Bechor Elyashar, from Mr. Refael of Damascus" – p. 22b; "from an Alexandrian guest by R. B. Elyashar" – p. 23b).
On pp. 11a-22a, entries detailing the expenses of the Chevra Kadisha, including expenditures on coffee, sugar, wine and refreshments for various events (candy, drinks and sweets), oil for Lag BaOmer, expenses for the sick and more.
The entries mention the names of various people, including "Rabbi N." (for example, on p. 11b: "Gathering in the home of the crown of our head, Rabbi N.") – the identity of this rabbi is unclear. On p. 14b: "For Mr. Moses Montefiore"; on p. 15a: "Flask for R. N[issim] Navon at a wedding"; "For Moshe Cohen for his service for six months"; on p. 15b: "Coffee for Rabbi Navon for his mourning for his son"; and more. The ledger frequently mentions rabbis and other members of the Parnas family (for example, on p. 15a: "Flask for R. N. Parnas on the Shabbat of his son's betrothal"; "For a son born to Eliyahu Parnas"), the Burla family and other distinguished Sephardi families in Jerusalem (the Parnas family are known to have served as trustees of the Jerusalem cemetery for over 100 years; see Kedem, Auction 61, lot 14, featuring a similar ledger from the same time, but with a different purpose than the present item).
In several places, the ledger contains entries and protocols with sums of accounts up to a certain date, with fine calligraphic signatures of several Jerusalem rabbis who managed the Chevra Kadisha. On p. 4a – "We have summed up accounts on the 8th night of Chanukah… 1854…", signed by R. Moshe Mordechai Refael Meyuchas and R. Yehudah Burla; on p. 6b – entries detailing income written mostly by R. Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (the Yisa Berachah; in one inscription he writes: "Another donation from Mr. Avraham HaKohen… by the writer, Yisa Berachah"), followed by an entry in his handwriting summing up accounts ("today, 5th Elul 1854"), with signatures of R. Moshe Mordechai Refael Meyuchas, R. Refael Avraham Yosef Meyuchas and the Yisa Berachah; on p. 10a – lengthy entry summing up accounts "in the home of R. Bechor Burla, 8th Iyar 1856… to explain that there remain funds totaling… held by R. Chaim Dan called Ya'ish…", signed by R. Yehudah Burla, R. Avraham Chaim Avishai(?) and R. Mordechai Bitran; on p. 26a – entry on summing up of accounts "with R. Chaim Ya'ish… Jerusalem… Nisan 1857…", signed by R. Yosef Seville and R. Mordechai Bitran; on p. 22a – (unsigned) entry handwritten by the Yisa Berachah: "Today, 5th Elul 1854…".

[28] written leaves + many blank leaves. 11 cm. Good condition. A few stains and wear. Original binding, with tears and damage.