Ceremony of the Visit of William V to the Portuguese Synagogue, Amsterdam (1768). Rare trilingual ceremonial publication commemorating the official 1768 visit of William V, Prince of Orange and Nassau, and his wife Princess Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina of Prussia, to the Portuguese (Sephardic) Synagogue in Amsterdam. Titled Or Gadol LaYehudim ("A Great Light for the Jewish People"), this work documents one of the most significant moments in 18th-century Dutch Jewish history, reflecting the public recognition and high standing of the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam.
Printed in Amsterdam in 1768 by Gerard Johan Jansson at the house of Israel Mondovì the work is issued in Hebrew, Dutch, and Portuguese. The volume contains a detailed narrative account of the ceremony in Dutch and Portuguese, together with the full synagogue service and liturgy in Hebrew and Dutch as conducted for the royal visit. Included among the Hebrew texts is a formal rabbinic blessing by Rabbi Solomon Shalem (Rabbi Shlomo Shalem), the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam, written especially in honor of the Prince and Princess.
The Hebrew title page praises the appearance of the royal couple as a moment of illumination and exaltation for the Jewish people, comparing their arrival to the rising of the sun and describing the Great Synagogue as the "glory and pride" of the community. The text further names William V as hereditary leader of the Dutch Republic and his consort Wilhelmina as Crown Princess of Prussia, emphasizing their dignity, lineage, and public prominence. The work also records the participation of city dignitaries, royal officials, and communal leaders, capturing the wider civic importance of the occasion.
Printed on fine paper with unusually wide margins and bound in the original publisher's paper boards (lacking spine), with wear to the covers; interior generally clean with light staining consistent with age.
Ex. Kedem Auctions, Auction 52, Lot 369.
Estimated Value $200 - 300
Judaica
