Confirmations - Rebe des Alfred - Bar Mitzvah Speech of the Youth Alfred Lederman. Breslau, 1890

Confirmations - Rebe des Alfred - Bar Mitzvah Speech of the Youth Alfred Lederman. Breslau, 1890

Bar Mitzvah speech of a youth from the city of Breslau, written by hand and bound in a magnificent red binding, embossed with gilded letters. Breslau, 1890.

Specifications: [13] leaves, most written on one side, the last leaf is written on both sides. German with several sentences in Hebrew.

Unique Features: The confirmation ceremony for Jewish children, which consisted of them being examined on their knowledge of Judaism, was first instituted by the Reform movement in 1815 in their Temple in Berlin, in order to replace the traditional Bar Mitzvah rites which they considered to be outdated. The practice spread throughout Germany, and was adopted by Orthodox congregations as well, in a milder form - as a ceremony outside of the synagogue. By the end of the 19th century the custom had spread to other Eastern European and the Middle East. In 1849 the Breslau Jewish community split into an Orthodox congregation led by Rabbi Gedaliah Tiktin, and a Reform congregation led by the Reform rabbi Dr. Avraham Geiger. In 1854 the Rabbi Zechariah Frankel Rabbinical Seminary was established, in which Jewish studies were taught from a Conservative approach. This background explains the use of the word "Confirmation" for a Bar Mitzvah speech in Breslau in the late 19th century.

Condition: Very fine. Binding in very fine condition with a few stains.