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Guide to the Friedman Family Papers, 1844-1944
 
*P-948

Processed by Elise DeAndrea

American Jewish Historical Society

Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street

New York, N.Y. 10011

Phone: (212) 294-6160

Fax: (212) 294-6161

Email: reference@ajhs.org

URL: http://www.ajhs.org

© 2013, American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Machine-readable finding aid created by Elise DeAndrea as MS Word document, November 2012. Finding aid was encoded by Christine McEvilly on December 5, 2012. Description is in English.

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Friedman, Abraham; Friedman, Nathan
Title: Friedman Family Papers
Dates: 1844-1944
Abstract: Aaron Friedman was a rabbi, shochet, and author. He was a shochet in Stavisk, Poland, Bernkastel-on-the-Moselle, Germany, and New York City, and author of a defense of the practice of Shechita entitled, “Tuv Ta’am” in 1874. This collection also contains information on his son, Abraham Friedman and his grandson, Nathan Friedman. This collection consists of correspondence, business documents, family photographs, personal effects, genealogical information, and publications.
Languages: The collection is in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.
Quantity: 1 linear foot (1 document box)
Identification: P-948
Repository: American Jewish Historical Society
Location: Located in AJHS Boston, MA
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Biographical Note1

Aaron Tzevi Friedman was born in Stavisk, Poland on March 22, 1822. When he was seventeen he became the shochet (a licensed and trained ritual slaughterer) for the city of Stavisk. He later moved to Bernkastel-on-the-Moselle in Germany where in 1844, he became a rabbi and shochet for the city. He married Rebecca Lieberman of Frankfort. In 1848, he moved to New York where he was chosen as shochet of one of the largest abattoirs (slaughterhouse) in the city. In response to attacks made against the practice of shechita, Friedman wrote a defense of shechita entitled “Tuv Ta’am” in 1874. He became known as the “Ba’al Shem” of America because of his strict Orthodoxy. He remained a shochet of New York City until his death on May 17, 1876.

Abraham Isaac Friedman was one of Aaron’s twelve children. He was born in Trier-on-Moselle in Germany in 1843. He married Rachel Isaacs.

Nathan Halliday Friedman was one of Abraham’s sons. He was born in 1890 in Brooklyn, New York, and married Sadie Stone on May 28, 1912. They had two children; Robert Simon Friedman, born in 1915 and Ruth F. Friedman, born in 1920. Nathan moved to Taunton, Massachusetts where he was the treasurer and manager at Harodite Finishing Company.

Chronology
March 22, 1822 Aaron Friedman is born in Stavisk, Poland.
1839 Aaron Friedman becomes shochet of Stavisk.
1843 Abraham Friedman is born in Trier-on-Moselle, Germany.
1844 Aaron Friedman becomes rabbi and shochet of Bernkastel-on-the-Moselle.
1848 Aaron Friedman moves to New York City.
1874 Aaron Friedman writes “Tuv Ta’am.”
May 17, 1876 Aaron Friedman dies in New York City at age 54.
1890 Nathan Friedman is born in Brooklyn, New York.
May 28, 1912 Nathan Friedman marries Sadie Stone.
1915 Robert Simon Friedman is born (son of Nathan and Sadie).
1920 Ruth F. Friedman is born (daughter of Nathan and Sadie).
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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains a variety of documents and artifacts relating to the Friedman family. Most of the information pertains to Aaron, Abraham, and Nathan Friedman. It consists of correspondence, business documents, family photographs, personal effects, and publications. There is also some genealogical information about the family. Most of the collection is in English but some documents are in Hebrew and Yiddish.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 5 series as follows:

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: reference@ajhs.org

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Related Material

United Kosher Butcher’s Association, I-118

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Friedman Family Papers; P-948; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

No accession information available.

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Access Points

This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

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Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

 

Series I: Friedman, Aaron, undated, 1857-1906.
English.
Box 1, Folders 1-5.
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content:

Included in this series are items related to Aaron Friedman. This includes accounting ledgers, a power of attorney document, and his letter seal. There is also information and correspondence about his life as a shochet.

Box Folder Title Date
1 1 Aaron’s Life as Shochet undated
1 2 Accounting Ledgers 1857-1860
1 3 Correspondence undated, 1906
1 4 Letter Seal undated
1 5 Power of Attorney 1870
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Series II: Friedman, Abraham, 1870-1880.
English and Yiddish.
Box 1, Folders 6-7.
Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content:

Included in this series are items related to Abraham Friedman. This includes accounting ledgers and some business correspondence. The correspondence is written in Yiddish.
Box Folder Title Date
1 6 Accounting Ledgers 1870s
1 7 Business Letter 1881
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Series III: Friedman, Nathan, undated, 1919-1927.
English.
Box 1, Folders 8-9.
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content:

Included in this series are items related to Nathan Friedman. This includes his drafting kit and some of his income tax returns.
Box Folder Title Date
1 8 Drafting Kit undated
1 9 Income Tax Returns 1919-1927
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Series IV: General, undated, 1871-1927.
English.
Box 1, Folders 10-13.
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content:

Included in this series are miscellaneous family ephemera, artifacts, and photographs. There is some genealogical information about various family members and a folder containing invoices, receipts, and checks. There are also family photographs of Aaron Friedman with his wife Rebecca, and Abraham Friedman with his wife Rachel. Some of the photographs are of unknown family members. One photograph is a Civil War reunion photo of Abraham Friedman. Attached to this photograph is reunion ribbon (fragile). Also included in the collection are a leather wallet, circumcision knife kit, and photograph wallet. The photographs that were in the wallet were transferred to the photograph folder. The wallet also contained a first edition U.S. nickel.
Box Folder Title Date
1 10 Artifacts undated
1 11 Family Genealogy 1871-1892
1 12 Photographs undated, 1888
1 13 Receipts, Invoices, Checks 1878-1927
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Series V: Publications, undated, 1844-1944.
English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
Box 1, Folders 14-17.
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content:

Included in this series are several publications. They include booklets in Yiddish, a medical book in Hebrew, a book of the Toldoth Yeshurun, and a book entitled Tschernichowsky and Homer, written by a friend of the Friedmans.
Box Folder Title Date
1 14 Medical Booklet 1868
1 15 Toldoth Yeshurun undated
1 16 Tschernichowsky and Homer 1944
1 17 Yiddish Booklets undated, 1844
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