Penina Moïse

Penina (Nina) Moïse (23 April 1797, in Charleston, South Carolina – 13 September 1880, in Charleston, South Carolina) was an American poet who made important contributions to the canon of hymns in Jewish services in America.

Family Penina Moïse was one of nine children born to French parents of Jewish origin, Abraham and Sarah Moise,

Her mother was born Sarah Lindo in 1774. The Lindo family was known for their cultural contributions and active participation in the Jewish community. Her original Jewish community was on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles.

Career

Moïse left school at 12 when her father died. One of her brothers, Isaac, had severe asthma, and her mother was regularly sick with varying illnesses, and Penina became the family nurse, spending her days caring for her family.

She was the author of hymns used in Jewish religious services, contributed verses to the Home Journal, the Washington Union, and other publications, and published Fancy's Sketch-Book (Charleston, 1833), a book of poems,

Later life Moïse faced significant health challenges in the 1850s, particularly the deterioration of her eyesight that was most likely due to cataracts, causing her to spend the last twenty years blind. Despite this impairment, she remained dedicated to her literary and community activities. She cared for her widowed sister Rachel Levy and Rachel's daughter Jacqueline after the war. At the same time, she continued to write, often with the assistance of others who transcribed her works. Some contributions made were to the Reform Jewish Congregation at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina. She was pivotal in writing the congregational hymn book "Hymns Written for the Use of Hebrew Congregations," one of the first Jewish hymnals in the United States, composing numerous hymns and poems. Moïse, Rachel, and her niece established a small private girls' school in their home in Charleston to support herself and her family. Despite her blindness, she taught by memory. Lines for the Fourth of July Lines XIX Lines of a Broken Tea Cup Lines IX Lines XIV Lines XX

Books

Fancy Sketch Book (1833) Hymns Written for the Use of Hebrew Congregation (1856) Secular and Religious Works of Penina Moïse with a Brief Sketch of Her Life (1911, published posthumously)

Hymns

Great Arbiter of Human Fate My God, My Father, and My Guide! Lift, Lift the Voice of Praise on High God of the Sabbath! to Thy praise God of my fathers! in Thy sight

Penina Moïse wrote 190 hymns for her congregation, the Beth Elohim. The 1932 Reform Movement Union Hymnal included over 10 of her hymns. In 1842, Beth Elohim published a hymnal, and 60 of its 74 songs in the hymnal were Penina Moïse hymns.

Legacy

Moïse's hymns dealt with many contemporary debates around religion, politics, and their intersection. Her poems have been primarily discussed in the context of women's literature of the nineteenth century and, more specifically, Jewish women writers.

The Jewish Women's Archive honors Moïse's life and works, highlighting her role as a pioneering Jewish poet and hymnist. The archive provides extensive biographical information and discusses her impact on Jewish American history. The South Carolina Historical Society commemorates Moïse as an influential figure in the State's history. Their records acknowledge her achievements in literature and her contributions to Jewish religious life.