Reform Marriage Certificate, Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise – Ohio, 1872

Reform Marriage Certificate, Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise – Ohio, 1872
A marriage certificate recording the marriage of David Ullman and Cecelia Hollstein in accordance with Jewish law and the state laws; handwritten and signed by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. Cincinnati (Ohio, USA), October 21, 1872. English.
Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819-1900), born in Moravia, was a pioneer of the Reform Judaism Movement in the USA and one of its leaders. Wise was ordained as a rabbi in Prague and served as a rabbi in the city of Radnice in Bohemia, before immigrating to the USA in 1846. In the USA, he was appointed rabbi of the "Beit El" synagogue in Albany, New York, and very soon he started introducing reforms and innovations to his community. Wise was involved in several disputes due to his opinions. His travails finally ended when he reached Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was appointed the rabbi of the "Bnei Yeshurun" community in 1854, a position he held for 46 years, until his death. Wise was an active, energetic figure in the American reform community and founded the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (the umbrella organization of the reform communities in the USA) and the Hebrew Union College. An incident which became known as "The Trefa Banquet", because of the non-kosher food served during the graduation party of the first class of the Hebrew Union College, and in which Wise's name was involved as the person who refused to condemn this breach of Jewish law, became symbolic of the divide within American Reform Judaism, which lead to the birth of Conservative Judaism.
David Ullman (1842-1905), born in Germany, was one of the first Jews in his city of Peoria, Illinois. He was a liquor wholesaler and served as the vice president of the "Anshei Emeth" community in his town.
[1] f, 20.5X32 cm. Good-fair condition. Fold lines. Stains. Closed and open tears along edges and fold lines. Ink corrosion.