Los Salmos en Ladino

This is the entire Book of Psalms in the ladino language. It was printed in Constantinople, Turkey in 1885. The book has 217 pages and is small as books go measuring 4 1/4 x 6 inches.

Sefer eleh ha-Mitzvot

"Sefer eleh ha-Mitzvot", published in the year 1713 in Amsterdam.

Hilulah day II 27 of Adar Rabbi isaac Aboab da Fonseca

Isaac Aboab da Fonseca "The Hacham of Recife"

February 1st, 1605 -Portugal

April 4th, 1693- Holland

was a rabbi, scholar, kabbalist and writer.

In 1656, he was one of several elders within the Portuguese-Israelite community in the Netherlands who excommunicated Baruch Spinoza for the statements this philosopher made concerning (the nature of) God.

Isaac Aboab da Fonseca was born in the Portuguese town of Castro d'Ayre as Simao da Fonseca, a Christian name. His parents were Maranos, Jews who had forcefully been converted to Christianity. However, although the family had converted to Christianity, life was still to a great deal uncertain. When Isaac was seven, the family moved to Amsterdam. From that moment on, the family reconverted back to Judaism, and Isaac was raised Jewish from that moment on. Together with Manasseh ben Israel, he was given lessons by Isaac Uziel, a scholar.
At the age of 18, Isaac was appointed rabbi (chacham) for Beth Israel, one of three Sephardic communities which existed at that point in Amsterdam.

In 1642, Aboab da Fonseca was appointed rabbi at the Dutch colony of Pernambuco (Recife), Brazil. Most of the white inhabitants of the town were Sephardic Jews from Portugal who had been banned by the Inquisition to this town at the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1624, the colony had been occupied by the Dutch. By becoming the rabbi of the community, Aboab da Fonseca was the first appointed rabbi of the Americas. However, during the time he was rabbi in Pernambuco, the Portuguese re-occupied the place again in 1654, after a struggle of nine years. Aboab da Fonseca managed to return to Amsterdam after the occupation of the Portuguese.
Back in Amsterdam, Aboab da Fonseca was appointed chief rabbi for the Sephardic community. In 1656, he was one of several scholars who excommunicated famous philosopher Baruch Spinoza. During the reign of Aboab da Fonseca, the community flourished; the Portuguese synagogue (the Esnoga) was inaugurated on August 2th 1675 (10 Menachem 5435).
On April 4th 1693, Isaac Aboab da Fonseca died at the age of 88 in Amsterdam.

http://www.sefarad.org/publication/lm/010/bresil.html

http://www.ourjerusalem.com/history/story/history20050830.html

http://cf.uba.uva.nl/nl/publicaties/treasures/text/t18.html

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Brazil.html

http://www.jodensavanne.sr.org/article5.html

http://www.pousadapeter.com.br/judeusindex.htm

May the merit of the tzaddikim Hacham Isaac Aboab da Fonseca protect us all, Amen.