Obj. ID: 35467  Kinot Kefi Minhag Ashkenaz, Amsterdam, 1778

This text was prepared by William Gross:

There have been a large number of books published over the years containing the Kinot for Tisha' Be'av. This group was published for use by the Ashkenaic community of Amsterdam.
The press set up by Solomon Proops became the most famous of all the presses operating in Amsterdam in the 18th century, apart from the Menasseh ben Israel press. Solomon's father Joseph came to Amsterdam from Poznan. Solomon Proops was initially involved in the bookselling trade, and in 1677 was admitted to the Amsterdam Guild of Booksellers, Printers and Bookbinders. In 1704 he set up his own press, which was to become the longest operating and most productive of all the Jewish presses in Europe in the 18th C. He acquired the fame of a printer who produced beautiful books that could be bought at a reasonable price. Solomon Proops died in 1734, and his three sons Joseph, Jacob and Abraham inherited his press. They were too young to run the press themselves, however, taking over operations only when they reached maturity. In 1776 Abraham set up his own press and operated it until 1779 when he left Amsterdam and settled in Offenbach where he worked together with his son Solomon.
This book was issued during Abraham's short period of independent printing in Amsterdam.