(AMERICAN JUDAICA)

Gratz, Rebecca (1781-1869). Autograph Letter Signed written to her sister Rachel Gratz, in English.
Written to “dearest Rachel” back home in Philadelphia filled with information about Rebecca’s trip to New York, with news of their friends, both Jewish and Gentile; describes how she is about to ride by boat to Albany, which is “safer than land carriage.” Rebecca asks her sister to purchase various fabrics to send to their friends to make dresses and bonnets. Evidently they had admired her clothes, so she decided to have the same fabric from which hers were made sent to them from Philadelphia. Rebecca closes by sending her love and the rest of the family, and twice wishes Rachel “God bless you.”
Three pages, autograph address panel on verso. 4to.
New York: “At sunrise” 30th July 1804
This letter is a fine look into the social life of Rebecca Gratz and her close relationship with her sister Rachel (1783-1823). Indeed after Rachel died, Rebecca took her sister’s six children into her home and raised them herself. Rebecca never married. Deeply involved in Jewish education and other charitable good works, Rebecca was also highly sociable, friends with such American literati as Washington Irving. An educated woman who always sought to enrich her own Jewish learning, Rebecca remained a proud and devout Jew amidst a very Christian environment who never failed to defend her religious beliefs among Christian friends. Rebecca founded the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1819 to service Jewish woman and children in need, who heretofore had to rely on the charity of Christians intent on evangelizing their Hebrew brethren in need.===Rebecca was so well-regarded that a legend arose that she was Sir Walter Scott’s inspiration for the character Rebecca in his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. Sir Walter was friendly with Rebecca’s friend Washington Irving, and it is widely suggested that Irving had told Scott about this remarkable young Jewish woman, a worthy model for a noble 12th century Jewess of England. If so, the Rebecca Gratz of Ivanhoe is much like the young Rebecca Gratz from the period of this letter.