Archive of the Alwan family – Rabbis in Kurdistan and Jerusalem, [first half of 20th century]. The archive is composed of: · A collection of letters sent from the Alwan family concerning various matters. Letters from Rabbi Shabtai Alwan of Zakho, Kurdistan from 1928-1935 in Judeo-Arabic. From his son Rabbi Chaviv Alwan Rabbi of the Be'er Sheva Yeshiva of the Kurdish community in Jerusalem, and from his brother Rabbi Moshe Alwan and his son Marad. · Letters and recommendations for the Be'er Sheva Yeshiva [signed by: Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya, Rabbi Ben Zion Chai Uziel, Sephardi community committee, etc]. · Letters of stories about the rabbis of the Alwan family. · Small handwritten notebook, summaries of the Torah portions in preparation for a sermon. · More. · An illustrated Shiviti on parchment. Written by Rabbi Chaviv Alwan. [Jerusalem], 1941. Wood and glass frame (new). · Ten stamps (rubber and metal), of institutes of the Kurdish community in Jerusalem [Be'er Sheva Yeshiva, Hafatzat Torah Association, Kollel Zakho, etc.]. Rabbi Shabtai Alwan, a rabbi of the city of Zakho, Kurdistan. In 1935, he moved to Eretz Israel and taught young children in a Talmud Torah. He died in 1941. His son Rabbi Chaviv Alwan founded the Be'er Sheva Beit Midrash and Yeshiva in the Zichron Yosef neighborhood in Jerusalem in his father's memory. Dozens of items, size and condition vary.

Manuscript, the Zohar, Vayikra Bamidbar Devarim. Nice-looking writing in two columns. Title page including the place and date of writing. Rada'a (Yemen), 1708. 146 leaves, approximately 30 cm. Varying condition, most leaves are in good condition. Worming and wear to first and last leaves. Yemenite folk leather binding. Damaged with worming and wear. Handwritten and printed leaves are glued to the cover. (One of them includes lists of testimonies in a Beit Din).

Complete manuscript, Menorat HaMa'or, by Rabbi Yitzchak Abuhab. With scribe's colophon: "Moshe ben R' Aba… Yosef ben Se'adya HaLevi Nafcha". From "the 15th of Elul 1735". [25], 12-174, [1] leaves. 21.5 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Overall good condition. Wear damages and worming to several leaves. New semi-leather binding. Several handwritten single leaves have been inserted among the leaves.

Manuscript, Ta'amei Matamim, anthologies and novellae. [Yemen, c. 1835]. With many marginalia, added by the author of the book itself. Anthologies and novellae, Kabbalistic matters and homiletics, laws and ta'amim of customs, remazim and segulot, commentaries, mussar and tales. Piyyutim, prayers and commentary on the Hosha'anot, Megillat Antiyochus and Shabbat songs. A poem on the six Sidrei Mishnah. Glossary of foreign words, etc. In these compilations and in the glosses are teachings and novellae cited from many books [books of the Chida, from Ateret Zvi by Rabbi Zvi Hirsh of Zhydachiv and other early books and Chassidic books], and many teachings heard from Yemenite sages: The Maharitz and his grandson Maritz son of Rabbi Ya'akov, Rabbi Yosef Tzarem, Rabbi Yichye Bashiri and his book Chavetzelet HaSharon, Rabbi Se'adya El Darmari, Rabbi Se'adya HaShalem, Rabbi Se'adya Elager, Rabbi Yosef Elchatzeri, Rabbi Yehuda Chaki, Rabbi Se'adya Machmon in the name of Rabbi Y.Y. Chemdi, etc. [Some citations were heard directly from rabbis by the writer]. [160] leaves, (most leaves are not numbered – many leaves are missing in the middle and at the end). 16.5 cm. Fair condition, detached leaves and signatures. Wear and stains. Worming. Major worming to some leaves with damages to text. Unbound. One gloss is dated 1838. The manuscript itself was written earlier and later the writer added many more glosses and anthologies. The book Ateret Zvi was first printed in 1834, therefore this manuscript was written between 1834 and 1838.