A new acquisition for the Lowy Collection

The Form of Prayers according to the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. Sidur Sifte Tsadikim - New Edition, based on the versions of the late Revs. D. A. de Sola [London] and Isaac Leeser [Philadelphia], edited and revised by Abraham de Sola, Minister of the Portuguese Congregation, Montreal.   Philadelphia: Printed by Sherman & Co, 5638 [1878]

In his Preface to volume one, Abraham de Sola describes the need for a readily available, bilingual Hebrew-English liturgy that is appropriate for use in "Great Britain and the Colonies". Ours is a rare completed set in five volumes; a sixth volume mentioned in the printer's prospectus has either been lost or was never printed. Abraham de Sola (1825-1882) was the celebrated spiritual leader of Montreal's Portuguese Congregation (Shearith Israel) from 1847-1882 and a highly respected scholar abroad. He was appointed Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages at McGill University (1853) and authored numerous books and articles on Jewish history, religion, natural history and sciences. In 1872 he was invited to Washington, D.C. to deliver the opening prayer for that year’s session of Congress, the first non-Christian spiritual leader to do so.