Shabbetai Meshorer Bass

Born in Kalisz, Poland, Shabbetai Meshorer fled to Prague after surviving a pogrom that killed his parents. There he became assistant cantor at the Altneu Synagogue (leading to the nickname Bass, after his voice). He studied Talmud and general subjects, including Latin, and developed a love of books. During the years 1674 to 1679, he visited libraries in Poland, Germany, and Holland, searching for books and manuscripts. In Amsterdam he learned the craft of printing and correcting. His best-known work, Sifte yeshenim (Lips of the Sleepers), was the first Hebrew bibliography, listing 2,200 Hebrew books in alphabetical order, including details of their authors, contents, dates, and places of publication. In 1688, he received a permit to establish a printing house, later located in Dyhernfurth, Poland. His descendants continued the business until the second half of the eighteenth century. He was accused by Jesuits of spreading hatred of Christians and the authorities but was acquitted at trial.