Creator Bio
Moses Sussman Zarit
16th Century
Eliezer and Rachel bat Abraham of Prague moved to the land of Israel in 1545. The family had a strong connection to Venice and may have lived there before coming to Israel. Six surviving Yiddish-language letters from Rachel, in Jerusalem, to her son Moses, in Cairo, and one from son to mother, all dating from the 1560s, offer a rare view into daily life of Ashkenazic communities in those cities. One of Sussman Zarit’s daughters lived with her grandmother Rachel in Jerusalem; his three sons were scattered throughout the region in Istanbul, Safed, and Cairo.
Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator
Primary Source
Letter to His Mother
May the Lord who dwells in Zion protect you from any grief and sorrow. To my beloved mother, the crown of my head, the pious Mrs. Rachel, may she live long. [ . . . ] You should know, my dear mom…