Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
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Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $6,000
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Unsold
Large handwritten leaf, letter in Arabic on behalf of the Jewish community of Safed, addressed to the consuls of European countries (based in Haifa), with an impassioned plea for assistance in the wake of the city's destruction in the earthquake, and following the looting which devastated the community during the Peasants' revolt. With the stamp of Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh (Ovruch) author of Bat Ayin, and the stamp of R. Gershon Margolies (head of the Chassidic community). Safed, Shevat 1837. Important letter documenting the history of the Safed community.
Large format leaf, written in Arabic. At the foot of the letter, on the left, signature in Arabic (presumably written by the scribe) "Avraham Dov – representative of Russian subjects in Safed" (translated from Arabic), together with his stamp (in Hebrew): "Avraham Dov of Zhitomir". On the right, signature in Arabic (presumably written by the scribe): "Gershon – representative of German subjects" (translated from Arabic), with his stamp (in Hebrew – difficult to decipher).
The letter describes the difficult state of Safed Jewry in the wake of the earthquake, which claimed the lives of some two thousand Jewish residents. This calamity closely followed the pogroms and widespread looting which local Arab mobs perpetrated on the Jews of the city, during the course of the Peasants' Revolt. The letter portrays the horrors they endured during the pogroms, including murder and injury of men, women and children, the defilement of women, and other atrocities, and depicts how these troubles were compounded by the present earthquake which destroyed their homes and their few remaining possessions, killed thousands, and left countless of wounded without food nor a roof over their heads. The writers ask the consuls of the various countries to intercede on their behalf and obtain support and assistance for them.
At the start of the 19th century, Safed was one of the prominent communities in Eretz Israel. Safed was home to two famous communities: the Chassidic community, founded by the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, alongside the community of the disciples of the Gaon of Vilna. In the 1830s, the Chassidic community was headed by R. Avraham Dov of Ovritsh. The Perushim community was led by R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna. In that period, two great calamities befell the city, and led to its destruction: the first was the Safed riots which evolved from the Peasants' Revolt in 1834, and the second – the deadly earthquake in 1837.
The Peasants' Revolt erupted following the decree of Muhammad Ali, ruler of Egypt (who also ruled over Eretz Israel) and his son Ibrahim Pasha, who imposed a general conscription order on the local population. The Muslim tribes rebelled against this enlistment duty and started a popular uprising, during which the rebels attacked the Jewish population, looting, murdering and cruelly torturing their victims. The Safed community was one of the main victims of these riots. Apart from the casualties, the rebels looted Jewish property. They robbed and destroyed private homes, broke into synagogues and Batei Midrash, ripped and desecrated Torah scrolls and holy books. They also raided R. Yisrael Bak's printing press, destroying the machinery and equipment, and damaging any books they found. Only the book Pe'at HaShulchan by R. Yisrael of Shklow, which was in the process of being printed, was miraculously spared. The book was printed after the reestablishment of the press, in 1836, and in its preface, R. Yisrael describes the riots.
While the community was still licking its wounds from the riots, the earthquake struck, completely devastating the city. The earthquake took place on 24th Tevet 1837, while the Mincha services were being held in the synagogues. It hit Tiberias, Shechem and other towns as well, yet the main victim was Safed. R. Yisrael of Shklow, who was staying at that time in Jerusalem, describes the calamity in a letter he sent to the Chatam Sofer.
Another description of the disaster is found in a different letter, which R. Yisrael of Shklow sent to R. Tzvi Hirsch Lehren, informing him that the Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh and R. Gershon Margolies (whose stamps appear on this leaf) both survived the earthquake.
R. Yisrael of Shklow regarded the earthquake as a sign of the approaching Redemption (in accordance with the saying of the sages: "With the approach of Mashiach, the Galilee will be destroyed"), yet the Chatam Sofer attributed it to a different cause. In a eulogy he delivered on "the death of Tzaddikim and the destruction of the Galilee" in the Pressburg synagogue, in Iyar that year, the Chatam Sofer asserted that the earthquake came as a retribution for the fact that the immigrants preferred Safed over the holy city of Jerusalem.
Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh, signatory of this appeal, suffered greatly during the Peasants' Revolt in 1834, and most his possessions were looted. He then miraculously survived the earthquake in 1837. The miracle of his rescue is well-known. As mentioned, the earthquake struck during Mincha. Rebbe Avraham Dov warned his Chassidim not to leave the synagogue, and he lay on the floor of his Beit Midrash, surrounded by the congregants, who were clutching his belt. The entire building collapsed, apart from the small area where he and his Chassidim lay (the Rebbe later related that he recognized that the earthquake was not a natural event since the stones were cast to the sides and did not fall directly to the ground, in defiance of the laws of gravity. He understood that great power had been granted to the Satan, and he therefore lay submissively on the ground in fulfillment of the verse "Hide for but a moment, until the wrath passes"). This letter was written approximately a month following the earthquake. R. Yisrael of Shklow and his colleagues left Safed in the wake of the earthquake, and established the Perushim community in Jerusalem. A year later, Safed was once again looted by Druze tribes, and during that time Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh was captured, and was only released once the community paid his ransom.
Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh (1765-1840), a renowned Chassidic leader. He was a disciple of Rebbe Nachum of Chernobyl and his son R. Mordechai, as well as of R. Zusha of Anipoli and R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. He also associated with the Rebbe of Apta, R. Yisrael of Ruzhin, R. Aharon of Chernobyl and R. Aharon of Zhitomir. He served for a short while as rabbi of Chmelnik (Khmilnyk), yet most of his life (for some forty years), he was the rabbi of Ovritsh, by which name he was known for posterity. In 1825, he moved to Zhitomir where he was appointed head of the Beit Din.
In 1833, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Safed, where he established his Beit Midrash and served as rabbi and leader of the Chassidic communities in Safed. Through his illustrious personality, he brought together all sections of the Chassidic community, and created bonds with the Sephardi and Perushim communities. R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna and head of the Perushim community, held him in high esteem, and they together managed all communal matters. His study companion was R. Leib Baal HaYisurim. He drew many to repentance, and would advise them to engage in the study of Mishnayot.
Following the earthquake, he helped rebuild the Safed community, and did not allow the holy city to be abandoned. He perished in a plague in 1840, and with his passing, the plague ceased. He was buried in the Safed cemetery, close to the gravesites of R. Aryeh Leib of Volochysk and R. David Shlomo author of Levushei Serad. Many miraculous stories are told of his exceptional holiness and ability to bring salvations for the Jewish people. (Until this day, the Bat Ayin Beit Midrash in the Old city of Safed holds his chair, his Torah scroll with the original Torah ark and Bimah, and other holy items belonging to him, and the gabbaim report of miraculous salvations which occurred to people after sitting on his chair). His book Bat Ayin was printed in Jerusalem, 1847 and in Zhitomir in 1850, in different editions, and is considered a basic book of Chassidic teachings.
Large leaf, 68 cm. Good condition. Thick paper. Stains. Folding marks. Several tears to folds.
Provenance: the collection of Jean-Jacques-Pierre Desmaisons (1807-1873), Russian Orientalist and diplomat, professor of Oriental languages.
Large format leaf, written in Arabic. At the foot of the letter, on the left, signature in Arabic (presumably written by the scribe) "Avraham Dov – representative of Russian subjects in Safed" (translated from Arabic), together with his stamp (in Hebrew): "Avraham Dov of Zhitomir". On the right, signature in Arabic (presumably written by the scribe): "Gershon – representative of German subjects" (translated from Arabic), with his stamp (in Hebrew – difficult to decipher).
The letter describes the difficult state of Safed Jewry in the wake of the earthquake, which claimed the lives of some two thousand Jewish residents. This calamity closely followed the pogroms and widespread looting which local Arab mobs perpetrated on the Jews of the city, during the course of the Peasants' Revolt. The letter portrays the horrors they endured during the pogroms, including murder and injury of men, women and children, the defilement of women, and other atrocities, and depicts how these troubles were compounded by the present earthquake which destroyed their homes and their few remaining possessions, killed thousands, and left countless of wounded without food nor a roof over their heads. The writers ask the consuls of the various countries to intercede on their behalf and obtain support and assistance for them.
At the start of the 19th century, Safed was one of the prominent communities in Eretz Israel. Safed was home to two famous communities: the Chassidic community, founded by the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, alongside the community of the disciples of the Gaon of Vilna. In the 1830s, the Chassidic community was headed by R. Avraham Dov of Ovritsh. The Perushim community was led by R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna. In that period, two great calamities befell the city, and led to its destruction: the first was the Safed riots which evolved from the Peasants' Revolt in 1834, and the second – the deadly earthquake in 1837.
The Peasants' Revolt erupted following the decree of Muhammad Ali, ruler of Egypt (who also ruled over Eretz Israel) and his son Ibrahim Pasha, who imposed a general conscription order on the local population. The Muslim tribes rebelled against this enlistment duty and started a popular uprising, during which the rebels attacked the Jewish population, looting, murdering and cruelly torturing their victims. The Safed community was one of the main victims of these riots. Apart from the casualties, the rebels looted Jewish property. They robbed and destroyed private homes, broke into synagogues and Batei Midrash, ripped and desecrated Torah scrolls and holy books. They also raided R. Yisrael Bak's printing press, destroying the machinery and equipment, and damaging any books they found. Only the book Pe'at HaShulchan by R. Yisrael of Shklow, which was in the process of being printed, was miraculously spared. The book was printed after the reestablishment of the press, in 1836, and in its preface, R. Yisrael describes the riots.
While the community was still licking its wounds from the riots, the earthquake struck, completely devastating the city. The earthquake took place on 24th Tevet 1837, while the Mincha services were being held in the synagogues. It hit Tiberias, Shechem and other towns as well, yet the main victim was Safed. R. Yisrael of Shklow, who was staying at that time in Jerusalem, describes the calamity in a letter he sent to the Chatam Sofer.
Another description of the disaster is found in a different letter, which R. Yisrael of Shklow sent to R. Tzvi Hirsch Lehren, informing him that the Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh and R. Gershon Margolies (whose stamps appear on this leaf) both survived the earthquake.
R. Yisrael of Shklow regarded the earthquake as a sign of the approaching Redemption (in accordance with the saying of the sages: "With the approach of Mashiach, the Galilee will be destroyed"), yet the Chatam Sofer attributed it to a different cause. In a eulogy he delivered on "the death of Tzaddikim and the destruction of the Galilee" in the Pressburg synagogue, in Iyar that year, the Chatam Sofer asserted that the earthquake came as a retribution for the fact that the immigrants preferred Safed over the holy city of Jerusalem.
Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh, signatory of this appeal, suffered greatly during the Peasants' Revolt in 1834, and most his possessions were looted. He then miraculously survived the earthquake in 1837. The miracle of his rescue is well-known. As mentioned, the earthquake struck during Mincha. Rebbe Avraham Dov warned his Chassidim not to leave the synagogue, and he lay on the floor of his Beit Midrash, surrounded by the congregants, who were clutching his belt. The entire building collapsed, apart from the small area where he and his Chassidim lay (the Rebbe later related that he recognized that the earthquake was not a natural event since the stones were cast to the sides and did not fall directly to the ground, in defiance of the laws of gravity. He understood that great power had been granted to the Satan, and he therefore lay submissively on the ground in fulfillment of the verse "Hide for but a moment, until the wrath passes"). This letter was written approximately a month following the earthquake. R. Yisrael of Shklow and his colleagues left Safed in the wake of the earthquake, and established the Perushim community in Jerusalem. A year later, Safed was once again looted by Druze tribes, and during that time Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh was captured, and was only released once the community paid his ransom.
Rebbe Avraham Dov of Ovritsh (1765-1840), a renowned Chassidic leader. He was a disciple of Rebbe Nachum of Chernobyl and his son R. Mordechai, as well as of R. Zusha of Anipoli and R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. He also associated with the Rebbe of Apta, R. Yisrael of Ruzhin, R. Aharon of Chernobyl and R. Aharon of Zhitomir. He served for a short while as rabbi of Chmelnik (Khmilnyk), yet most of his life (for some forty years), he was the rabbi of Ovritsh, by which name he was known for posterity. In 1825, he moved to Zhitomir where he was appointed head of the Beit Din.
In 1833, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Safed, where he established his Beit Midrash and served as rabbi and leader of the Chassidic communities in Safed. Through his illustrious personality, he brought together all sections of the Chassidic community, and created bonds with the Sephardi and Perushim communities. R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna and head of the Perushim community, held him in high esteem, and they together managed all communal matters. His study companion was R. Leib Baal HaYisurim. He drew many to repentance, and would advise them to engage in the study of Mishnayot.
Following the earthquake, he helped rebuild the Safed community, and did not allow the holy city to be abandoned. He perished in a plague in 1840, and with his passing, the plague ceased. He was buried in the Safed cemetery, close to the gravesites of R. Aryeh Leib of Volochysk and R. David Shlomo author of Levushei Serad. Many miraculous stories are told of his exceptional holiness and ability to bring salvations for the Jewish people. (Until this day, the Bat Ayin Beit Midrash in the Old city of Safed holds his chair, his Torah scroll with the original Torah ark and Bimah, and other holy items belonging to him, and the gabbaim report of miraculous salvations which occurred to people after sitting on his chair). His book Bat Ayin was printed in Jerusalem, 1847 and in Zhitomir in 1850, in different editions, and is considered a basic book of Chassidic teachings.
Large leaf, 68 cm. Good condition. Thick paper. Stains. Folding marks. Several tears to folds.
Provenance: the collection of Jean-Jacques-Pierre Desmaisons (1807-1873), Russian Orientalist and diplomat, professor of Oriental languages.
Category
Jerusalem and Eretz Israel – Letters and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $8,000
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Sold for: $15,000
Including buyer's premium
A long, interesting letter handwritten and signed by Warder Cresson, the first person to be appointed USA consul to Jerusalem. Written in Jerusalem (Mount Zion) on September 13, 1860 (shortly before his death) and sent to Ann Paschal Jackson of Pennsylvania, USA. With the letter is enclosed the original envelope in which it was sent (with postmarks of the French postal services in Jerusalem and Jaffa and other postmarks). English.
Warder Cresson, one of the most fascinating figures in the history of Jerusalem in the 19th century, was born to a Quaker family in the USA. He was appointed the first USA consul to Jerusalem (an appointment that was cancelled even before his arrival to Eretz Israel) and eventually moved to the city permanently, converted to Judaism and consequently stood trial in the USA, the claim being he had lost his mind.
The letter before us was written when he was sick, shortly before his death, to his friend Ann Paschal Jackson, a Quaker minister in the USA. The letter indicates Cresson's sense of belonging to the Jewish community of Jerusalem. He writes about the sanctity of the city and his desire to be buried there, about his way of life combining prayer and the study of the Torah, about the severing of his ties with his family in the USA, and about many additional issues, all this while quoting many biblical verses. Cresson begins his letter with the verse "And the redeemed of the Lord shall return & come to Zion" (Isaiah, 35, 10). The first part of the letter deals mainly with this verse and the idea of the Jews' return to Zion. In this context, Cresson writes about the Muslim inhabitants of Eretz Israel: "Hagar, the mother of Ishmael & the present Turks, was a very bad Woman, & her Son was very bad; & so are very many of their descendants, therefore G-d said to Sarah, 'Cast out the Bond-Woman, & her Son; for the Son of this Bondwoman, shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac'. Gen. 21c-10v. & Why? Because neither Hagar, nor Ishmael, was either of them, the 'Redeemed of Lord'… & very soon, they will be 'cast-out' from this land, as the
52nd Chapter of Isaiah declares, & not return to Zion with the Redeemed of the Lord…".
Later in the letter, Cresson addresses his visit to the USA in 1848 (a visit he made after his conversion and during which he was prosecuted by his family members): "In the year 1848, I returned, at the particular request of my family, to America, & I very soon found, that I had got out of the 'field of Boaz'… for I found, that all their Conversations; their Places of Diversion; – their Pleasures – Their Love of mammon, would eventually land me, in the field of Weakness & Sin & I therefore determined, to return to Jerusalem, at every Sacrifise, as soon as possibly could; wh. I did… I am here; where I hope to lay my Bones".
In the course of his writing, Cresson describes Jerusalem, while citing from the Book of Psalms, Isaiah and Jeremiah, and also describes his Jewish way of life: three prayers a day ("as our Blessed David says in Psalms 55c-17"), study of Torah, visiting the poor and the sick, writing, and more. In addition, Cresson relates that several people chose to convert to Judaism in Jerusalem, among them a Catholic woman ("The Rabbis questioned her very closely & found, that the Truth & Light of G-d had been doing their work, & therefore they could not reject her").
Warder Cresson (1798-1860, also known by his Hebrew name Michael Boaz Yisrael Ben Avraham), was born to a wealthy Quaker family in Philadelphia. In 1830, Cresson published the composition "Babylon the Great is Falling!" which decisively denunciated the degeneration that had, in his opinion, spread in American Christianity. In the following years, he changed his religion five times, eventually adopting a Messianic faith according to which redemption is dependent on the Jews returning to Eretz Israel.
When in 1844, he was offered the office of American consul to Jerusalem, he immediately accepted, even without pay, and in May of that same year, President John Tyler signed his decree of appointment. However, when the White House heard rumors of his Messianic beliefs, it was decided to cancel the appointment. Cresson was already on his way to Eretz Israel and therefore never received the announcement about the cancelling of his appointment. With his arrival to Jerusalem, he declared himself the USA consul to Jerusalem and started to advocate the return of Jews to Eretz Israel. He even sold capitulations on behalf of the USA government. He stopped his activity only after being notified that if he continues presenting himself as consul, he will be banished from the country.
Despite the cancellation, Cresson decided to remain in Eretz Israel and in 1848, converted to Judaism. When he traveled to the USA to liquidate his business once and for all, his family issued a court order ordering his hospitalization, the claim being he had lost his mind. The trial garnered unprecedented public interest, was held with the participation of dozens of witnesses (some of them well-known figures such as Moses Montefiore and Mordechai Emanuel Noah), and at its end – Cresson was acquitted and was permitted to return to Eretz Israel.
In his final years he settled in Jerusalem, devoted himself to the study of the Torah and became an honorable member of the Sephardic community of Jerusalem. At the same time, he conducted important agricultural experiments, opened several small schools for agriculture in the vicinity of Jaffa and even attempted to open an agricultural farm in the area of Emek Refa'im in Jerusalem. He married a Jewish woman named Rachel Moledano and the couple had two children. In 1860 he died of a prolonged illness. He was buried in the Mount of Olives cemetery.
Enclosed is the original envelope in which the letter was sent, with postmarks of the various stations it had gone through on its way from Jerusalem to Pennsylvania. The letter was sent using the French post in Jerusalem (with a "Jerusalem Cross" postmark), via the French post in Jaffa (postmark from September 15 1860), then through Alexandria, Lyon, Paris and Boston.
Letter: [1] folded leaf (four pages handwritten by him), 26.5 cm. Good condition. Fold lines. A few stains. A few tiny tears along edges and fold lines. Envelope: 8X13.5 cm. Good condition. Minor creases and stains. Was opened with a letter opener at the edge.
Warder Cresson, one of the most fascinating figures in the history of Jerusalem in the 19th century, was born to a Quaker family in the USA. He was appointed the first USA consul to Jerusalem (an appointment that was cancelled even before his arrival to Eretz Israel) and eventually moved to the city permanently, converted to Judaism and consequently stood trial in the USA, the claim being he had lost his mind.
The letter before us was written when he was sick, shortly before his death, to his friend Ann Paschal Jackson, a Quaker minister in the USA. The letter indicates Cresson's sense of belonging to the Jewish community of Jerusalem. He writes about the sanctity of the city and his desire to be buried there, about his way of life combining prayer and the study of the Torah, about the severing of his ties with his family in the USA, and about many additional issues, all this while quoting many biblical verses. Cresson begins his letter with the verse "And the redeemed of the Lord shall return & come to Zion" (Isaiah, 35, 10). The first part of the letter deals mainly with this verse and the idea of the Jews' return to Zion. In this context, Cresson writes about the Muslim inhabitants of Eretz Israel: "Hagar, the mother of Ishmael & the present Turks, was a very bad Woman, & her Son was very bad; & so are very many of their descendants, therefore G-d said to Sarah, 'Cast out the Bond-Woman, & her Son; for the Son of this Bondwoman, shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac'. Gen. 21c-10v. & Why? Because neither Hagar, nor Ishmael, was either of them, the 'Redeemed of Lord'… & very soon, they will be 'cast-out' from this land, as the
52nd Chapter of Isaiah declares, & not return to Zion with the Redeemed of the Lord…".
Later in the letter, Cresson addresses his visit to the USA in 1848 (a visit he made after his conversion and during which he was prosecuted by his family members): "In the year 1848, I returned, at the particular request of my family, to America, & I very soon found, that I had got out of the 'field of Boaz'… for I found, that all their Conversations; their Places of Diversion; – their Pleasures – Their Love of mammon, would eventually land me, in the field of Weakness & Sin & I therefore determined, to return to Jerusalem, at every Sacrifise, as soon as possibly could; wh. I did… I am here; where I hope to lay my Bones".
In the course of his writing, Cresson describes Jerusalem, while citing from the Book of Psalms, Isaiah and Jeremiah, and also describes his Jewish way of life: three prayers a day ("as our Blessed David says in Psalms 55c-17"), study of Torah, visiting the poor and the sick, writing, and more. In addition, Cresson relates that several people chose to convert to Judaism in Jerusalem, among them a Catholic woman ("The Rabbis questioned her very closely & found, that the Truth & Light of G-d had been doing their work, & therefore they could not reject her").
Warder Cresson (1798-1860, also known by his Hebrew name Michael Boaz Yisrael Ben Avraham), was born to a wealthy Quaker family in Philadelphia. In 1830, Cresson published the composition "Babylon the Great is Falling!" which decisively denunciated the degeneration that had, in his opinion, spread in American Christianity. In the following years, he changed his religion five times, eventually adopting a Messianic faith according to which redemption is dependent on the Jews returning to Eretz Israel.
When in 1844, he was offered the office of American consul to Jerusalem, he immediately accepted, even without pay, and in May of that same year, President John Tyler signed his decree of appointment. However, when the White House heard rumors of his Messianic beliefs, it was decided to cancel the appointment. Cresson was already on his way to Eretz Israel and therefore never received the announcement about the cancelling of his appointment. With his arrival to Jerusalem, he declared himself the USA consul to Jerusalem and started to advocate the return of Jews to Eretz Israel. He even sold capitulations on behalf of the USA government. He stopped his activity only after being notified that if he continues presenting himself as consul, he will be banished from the country.
Despite the cancellation, Cresson decided to remain in Eretz Israel and in 1848, converted to Judaism. When he traveled to the USA to liquidate his business once and for all, his family issued a court order ordering his hospitalization, the claim being he had lost his mind. The trial garnered unprecedented public interest, was held with the participation of dozens of witnesses (some of them well-known figures such as Moses Montefiore and Mordechai Emanuel Noah), and at its end – Cresson was acquitted and was permitted to return to Eretz Israel.
In his final years he settled in Jerusalem, devoted himself to the study of the Torah and became an honorable member of the Sephardic community of Jerusalem. At the same time, he conducted important agricultural experiments, opened several small schools for agriculture in the vicinity of Jaffa and even attempted to open an agricultural farm in the area of Emek Refa'im in Jerusalem. He married a Jewish woman named Rachel Moledano and the couple had two children. In 1860 he died of a prolonged illness. He was buried in the Mount of Olives cemetery.
Enclosed is the original envelope in which the letter was sent, with postmarks of the various stations it had gone through on its way from Jerusalem to Pennsylvania. The letter was sent using the French post in Jerusalem (with a "Jerusalem Cross" postmark), via the French post in Jaffa (postmark from September 15 1860), then through Alexandria, Lyon, Paris and Boston.
Letter: [1] folded leaf (four pages handwritten by him), 26.5 cm. Good condition. Fold lines. A few stains. A few tiny tears along edges and fold lines. Envelope: 8X13.5 cm. Good condition. Minor creases and stains. Was opened with a letter opener at the edge.
Category
Jerusalem and Eretz Israel – Letters and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000
Sold for: $5,750
Including buyer's premium
Letter sent to Calcutta, regarding the emissary of Kollel Polin in India, with the signatures of four Jerusalem Torah leaders: the Gaon of Kutno author of Zayit Raanan, R. Yitzchak David son of Rebbe Moshe of Lelov, and the holy brothers R. Nachum of Shadek and R. Yaakov Yehuda Leib Levi-Weissfish. Jerusalem, [1859].
Addressed to the magnate David Yosef Ezra, a prominent philanthropist in Calcutta, India, in preparation for the arrival of R. Yaakov Eliezer, emissary of Kollel Warsaw, who would be travelling to Indian cities, raising funds for the building of a synagogue and study hall for the Torah scholars of Kollel Warsaw. Kollel Warsaw was at that time one of the new Kollelim in Jerusalem, established following the large wave of immigration from Poland in the 1840s-1850s. The founders and administrators of the Kollel were the leading Torah scholars originating from Poland, signatories of this letter. Due to the difficult conditions which prevailed in those days, establishing the Kollel necessitated overcoming numerous hurdles, as the rabbis relate in this letter. They describe the absence of a permanent location for their outstanding Torah scholars to study and pray in, unlike other Kollelim who each have their own institutions. They explain that a suitable location was found and secured, but large sums of money are needed to finalize the acquisition.
The rabbis write that they sent a special emissary to India, and that this letter is an introduction to the letters the emissary would be carrying with him.
At the beginning of the letter, the rabbis mention that they pray regularly on behalf of their donors, especially at holy sites in Eretz Israel, such as the Kotel and Kever Rachel.
This letter constitutes an interesting historic document recording the development of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem. The establishment of the Ashkenazi settlement was the product of a complex and protracted process of setting up institutions for prayer, Torah study and charity, alongside the construction of new apartment buildings and neighborhoods. These enterprises were coordinated by the Kollelim, which were comprised of natives of their respective communities in Europe, with each community providing for the needs of their senior and newly arrived immigrants. The Kollel administered donations received from its country of origin, and these served as the basis for the existence and development of the Kollelim and their institutions. Kollel Warsaw (later renamed Kupat Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess – Kollel Polin) was founded slightly later, while several both major and smaller Kollelim were already functioning in Jerusalem. In the 1840-1850s, immigration from Poland increased, creating the need for an independent framework, which resulted in the founding of Kollel Warsaw – eventually one of the most prominent Kollelim in the city.
The four signatories on the letter:
The Gaon of Kutno, R. Moshe Yehuda Leib Zylberberg (1798-1865) author of Zayit Raanan and Tiferet Yerushalayim. A prominent Torah leader of the generation in Poland, he served as rabbi of various Polish cities, notably of Kutno, by which he was known for posterity. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1857, and was one of the leading rabbis in Jerusalem. While still in Poland he edified many disciples, and many Polish rabbis and rebbes were his students. In Jerusalem, he devoted his entire day to Torah study, bedecked in Tallit and Tefillin. The exceptional Talmudic lectures he delivered in his home were attended by many of Jerusalem's students. The Gaon of Kutno would deliver two lectures daily: one in the morning, on the Talmud with the Rashi and Tosafot commentaries, and one in the evening on halachic literature. He was recognized as one of the foremost Torah scholars in the city, and earned the title of Mara D'Ara DeYisrael (Rabbi of Eretz Israel), as he led the city together with R. Shmuel Salant and R. Meir Auerbach the Imrei Bina, who had immigrated from Kalisch three years after him.
R. Yitzchak David Biederman (1815-1886, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, II, p. 402), son of Rebbe Moshe of Lelov. He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1851, and stood for many years at the helm of the Chassidic settlement in the city, together with his brother Rebbe Elazar Menachem Mendel. He was one of the founders of Kollel Polin, and of the Chayei Olam yeshiva, together with his sons-in-law R. Binyamin Leib Bernstein and R. Avraham Eliezer Münzberg Rabbi of Józefów.
R. Nachum Rabbi of Shadek (1813-1868) was the son of R. Moshe Avraham Levi-Weissfish and a disciple of the Chemdat Shlomo – a leading Torah scholar in Poland, who granted him rabbinical ordination at the age of 18. He served as rabbi of Shadek (Szadek), Poland for a few years, and immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1843 together with his two brothers, R. Asher Lemel Rabbi of Gołyń and R. Yaakov Yehuda Leib, following a dream all three of them dreamt separately, instructing them to immigrate to Eretz Israel. In Jerusalem, he would sit for the main part of the day bedecked with Tallit and Tefillin, learning with great diligence. He founded Yeshivat HaRan, where he delivered scholarly lectures to the leading young Torah scholars of Jerusalem. He studied Kabbalah together with R. Yosef Zundel of Salant under the kabbalist R. Yehuda HaKohen. He passed away in a Cholera epidemic in 1868 and the epitaph on his grave in the Mount of Olives reads: "A holy and pure man, at the age of eight he began searching for G-d and devoted his whole life to Torah, fasts and ascetism. He studied Torah without respite, day and night. He merited to learn and teach, and edified many disciples… A pious and modest man…".
His brother, R. Yaakov Yehuda Leib Levi (1813-1889), head of the Jerusalem Beit Din for over forty years. An outstanding scholar in revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, a holy kabbalist. He served as rabbi of Sleshin (Ślesin), and later immigrated to Jerusalem in 1843 together with his two brothers, R. Asher Lemel Rabbi of Gołyń and R. Nachum Rabbi of Shadek. He authored Beit L'Avot on Pirkei Avot.
[1] leaf, thin, blueish stationery. 27.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Folding marks and creases. Small holes from ink corrosion. On verso – address, French postage stamp, and postmarks.
This letter was published in Moriah (issue 351-352, Kislev 2010, pp. 52-55).
Addressed to the magnate David Yosef Ezra, a prominent philanthropist in Calcutta, India, in preparation for the arrival of R. Yaakov Eliezer, emissary of Kollel Warsaw, who would be travelling to Indian cities, raising funds for the building of a synagogue and study hall for the Torah scholars of Kollel Warsaw. Kollel Warsaw was at that time one of the new Kollelim in Jerusalem, established following the large wave of immigration from Poland in the 1840s-1850s. The founders and administrators of the Kollel were the leading Torah scholars originating from Poland, signatories of this letter. Due to the difficult conditions which prevailed in those days, establishing the Kollel necessitated overcoming numerous hurdles, as the rabbis relate in this letter. They describe the absence of a permanent location for their outstanding Torah scholars to study and pray in, unlike other Kollelim who each have their own institutions. They explain that a suitable location was found and secured, but large sums of money are needed to finalize the acquisition.
The rabbis write that they sent a special emissary to India, and that this letter is an introduction to the letters the emissary would be carrying with him.
At the beginning of the letter, the rabbis mention that they pray regularly on behalf of their donors, especially at holy sites in Eretz Israel, such as the Kotel and Kever Rachel.
This letter constitutes an interesting historic document recording the development of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem. The establishment of the Ashkenazi settlement was the product of a complex and protracted process of setting up institutions for prayer, Torah study and charity, alongside the construction of new apartment buildings and neighborhoods. These enterprises were coordinated by the Kollelim, which were comprised of natives of their respective communities in Europe, with each community providing for the needs of their senior and newly arrived immigrants. The Kollel administered donations received from its country of origin, and these served as the basis for the existence and development of the Kollelim and their institutions. Kollel Warsaw (later renamed Kupat Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess – Kollel Polin) was founded slightly later, while several both major and smaller Kollelim were already functioning in Jerusalem. In the 1840-1850s, immigration from Poland increased, creating the need for an independent framework, which resulted in the founding of Kollel Warsaw – eventually one of the most prominent Kollelim in the city.
The four signatories on the letter:
The Gaon of Kutno, R. Moshe Yehuda Leib Zylberberg (1798-1865) author of Zayit Raanan and Tiferet Yerushalayim. A prominent Torah leader of the generation in Poland, he served as rabbi of various Polish cities, notably of Kutno, by which he was known for posterity. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1857, and was one of the leading rabbis in Jerusalem. While still in Poland he edified many disciples, and many Polish rabbis and rebbes were his students. In Jerusalem, he devoted his entire day to Torah study, bedecked in Tallit and Tefillin. The exceptional Talmudic lectures he delivered in his home were attended by many of Jerusalem's students. The Gaon of Kutno would deliver two lectures daily: one in the morning, on the Talmud with the Rashi and Tosafot commentaries, and one in the evening on halachic literature. He was recognized as one of the foremost Torah scholars in the city, and earned the title of Mara D'Ara DeYisrael (Rabbi of Eretz Israel), as he led the city together with R. Shmuel Salant and R. Meir Auerbach the Imrei Bina, who had immigrated from Kalisch three years after him.
R. Yitzchak David Biederman (1815-1886, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, II, p. 402), son of Rebbe Moshe of Lelov. He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1851, and stood for many years at the helm of the Chassidic settlement in the city, together with his brother Rebbe Elazar Menachem Mendel. He was one of the founders of Kollel Polin, and of the Chayei Olam yeshiva, together with his sons-in-law R. Binyamin Leib Bernstein and R. Avraham Eliezer Münzberg Rabbi of Józefów.
R. Nachum Rabbi of Shadek (1813-1868) was the son of R. Moshe Avraham Levi-Weissfish and a disciple of the Chemdat Shlomo – a leading Torah scholar in Poland, who granted him rabbinical ordination at the age of 18. He served as rabbi of Shadek (Szadek), Poland for a few years, and immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1843 together with his two brothers, R. Asher Lemel Rabbi of Gołyń and R. Yaakov Yehuda Leib, following a dream all three of them dreamt separately, instructing them to immigrate to Eretz Israel. In Jerusalem, he would sit for the main part of the day bedecked with Tallit and Tefillin, learning with great diligence. He founded Yeshivat HaRan, where he delivered scholarly lectures to the leading young Torah scholars of Jerusalem. He studied Kabbalah together with R. Yosef Zundel of Salant under the kabbalist R. Yehuda HaKohen. He passed away in a Cholera epidemic in 1868 and the epitaph on his grave in the Mount of Olives reads: "A holy and pure man, at the age of eight he began searching for G-d and devoted his whole life to Torah, fasts and ascetism. He studied Torah without respite, day and night. He merited to learn and teach, and edified many disciples… A pious and modest man…".
His brother, R. Yaakov Yehuda Leib Levi (1813-1889), head of the Jerusalem Beit Din for over forty years. An outstanding scholar in revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, a holy kabbalist. He served as rabbi of Sleshin (Ślesin), and later immigrated to Jerusalem in 1843 together with his two brothers, R. Asher Lemel Rabbi of Gołyń and R. Nachum Rabbi of Shadek. He authored Beit L'Avot on Pirkei Avot.
[1] leaf, thin, blueish stationery. 27.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Folding marks and creases. Small holes from ink corrosion. On verso – address, French postage stamp, and postmarks.
This letter was published in Moriah (issue 351-352, Kislev 2010, pp. 52-55).
Category
Jerusalem and Eretz Israel – Letters and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $1,375
Including buyer's premium
Letter of appointment as emissary on behalf of the Hebron community, on a mission to Persia, Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon, signed by the rabbi of Hebron – R. Menachem Suleiman Mani, and other rabbis in the city: R. Chanoch Hasson, R. Meir Shmuel Castiel and R. Meir Franco. Hebron, 1924.
Handwritten on a large parchment leaf in square scribal script with enlarged, emphasized words. At the foot of the text, the signatures of the rabbis with their official stamps.
Written for the emissary R. Abba Yair, setting out on a mission on behalf of Hebron to the region of Iran, Iraq and Kurdistan, and to Syria and Lebanon. The emissary letter lists all the places he would be visiting.
[1] large parchment leaf. Height: 34 cm. Width: 50 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, folding marks, several tears to folds.
Handwritten on a large parchment leaf in square scribal script with enlarged, emphasized words. At the foot of the text, the signatures of the rabbis with their official stamps.
Written for the emissary R. Abba Yair, setting out on a mission on behalf of Hebron to the region of Iran, Iraq and Kurdistan, and to Syria and Lebanon. The emissary letter lists all the places he would be visiting.
[1] large parchment leaf. Height: 34 cm. Width: 50 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, folding marks, several tears to folds.
Category
Jerusalem and Eretz Israel – Letters and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $2,250
Including buyer's premium
Three historic documents pertaining to the renewal and upholding of the prohibition and ban enacted by the Jerusalem rabbis on sending children to study in schools in Jerusalem, and the battle against the Shpitzer girls' school (which was established as a "Charedi" school, yet was banned by the rabbis of the Eda HaCharedit). Jerusalem, 1929-1931-1941.
• Letter signed by the dayanim of the Beit Din "for all Ashkenazi communities": R. Yitzchak Frankel, R. Simcha Bunem Werner and R. Pinchas Epstein (the first panel of Eda HaCharedit dayanim), warning that the prohibition and ban on the schools has not been lifted, and it includes "all the schools of the Zionists and of the Mizrachi, and the aforementioned Orthodox school for girls (presumably referring to the Spitzer school), and their status is like that of all the secular schools, without any permission whatsoever". At the foot of the letter, confirmation (approx. 4 lines) handwritten and signed by R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, rabbi of the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Adar 1931.
• Letter signed by six members of the "Committee of Supervisors for the Shomrei HaChomot Kollel": "With the approval of the rabbi (R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld) – it has been decided to impose a fine on whoever sends their children to schools, including Shpitzer's or Miss Landau's". One of the signatories is R. "Amram son of R. Sh.Y. Blau" (later head of Neturei Karta). Jerusalem, Sivan 1929.
• Letter addressed to Rebbe Elimelech Paneth of Deyzh, with a request to fire a clerk working in the Kollel Siebenbürgen office, whose daughters attend the forbidden Shpitzer school, and dress immodestly in the summer. The second leaf, with the signature and name of the writer of the letter, is lacking. Jerusalem, 1941.
3 letters. Size and condition vary. Creases, wear and tears.
• Letter signed by the dayanim of the Beit Din "for all Ashkenazi communities": R. Yitzchak Frankel, R. Simcha Bunem Werner and R. Pinchas Epstein (the first panel of Eda HaCharedit dayanim), warning that the prohibition and ban on the schools has not been lifted, and it includes "all the schools of the Zionists and of the Mizrachi, and the aforementioned Orthodox school for girls (presumably referring to the Spitzer school), and their status is like that of all the secular schools, without any permission whatsoever". At the foot of the letter, confirmation (approx. 4 lines) handwritten and signed by R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, rabbi of the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Adar 1931.
• Letter signed by six members of the "Committee of Supervisors for the Shomrei HaChomot Kollel": "With the approval of the rabbi (R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld) – it has been decided to impose a fine on whoever sends their children to schools, including Shpitzer's or Miss Landau's". One of the signatories is R. "Amram son of R. Sh.Y. Blau" (later head of Neturei Karta). Jerusalem, Sivan 1929.
• Letter addressed to Rebbe Elimelech Paneth of Deyzh, with a request to fire a clerk working in the Kollel Siebenbürgen office, whose daughters attend the forbidden Shpitzer school, and dress immodestly in the summer. The second leaf, with the signature and name of the writer of the letter, is lacking. Jerusalem, 1941.
3 letters. Size and condition vary. Creases, wear and tears.
Category
Jerusalem and Eretz Israel – Letters and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $1,500
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Unsold
An envelope with a seal of a place of business in the city of Pest owned by Jacob Herzl, Theodor Herzl's Father. Sent from Pest (Hungary; Budapest of today), to Serbia in 1860.
On the envelope (a folded leaf of paper) appear the sender's name, "Jacob Herzl & C" and beneath it the date – September 5, 1864 (handwritten by Jacob Herzl?), and the addressee's name. The envelope was sent to the city of Racsa (presumably, Sremska Rača in Servia) and bears postmarks of the cities Kikinda and Peterwardein and additional stamps.
The envelope is stamped with Jacob Herzl's official paper-seal, which reads "Jacob Herzl & Co. Pest".
Jacob Herzl (1832-1902) a Jewish-German merchant and banker, was Theodor Herzl's father. Jacob was born to a Jewish orthodox family in the city of Semlin, Servia (his father, Theodor's grandfather, was the warden of the Sephardic synagogue of the city). At the age of 15, he left home and started working as an apprentice at a supply company. Several decades later, he had a fortune of several millions of marks and his business spread over various fields of commerce and banking.
In 1857, Jacob married Jeanette Diamant and three years later their first child and only son, Theodor, was born. Jacob judged his son's unique and revolutionary ideas favorably and when he discovered what his real plan was – to establish an independent Jewish State in Palestine – he told him he must write a book about it, so as to appeal directly to the people (indeed, about a year later, Theodor Herzl wrote his book "Der Judenstaat").
Jacob died of a stroke in 1902, when Theodor was on his way to visit him. Of the loss of his father, Theodor Herzl said: "My dearest, my best… I owe him everything".
[1] leaf, 23X29 cm, folded into an envelope sized 9.5x13 cm. Good condition. Stains. Tears along edges and along fold lines. Ink corrosion in the line of the addressee's address.
On the envelope (a folded leaf of paper) appear the sender's name, "Jacob Herzl & C" and beneath it the date – September 5, 1864 (handwritten by Jacob Herzl?), and the addressee's name. The envelope was sent to the city of Racsa (presumably, Sremska Rača in Servia) and bears postmarks of the cities Kikinda and Peterwardein and additional stamps.
The envelope is stamped with Jacob Herzl's official paper-seal, which reads "Jacob Herzl & Co. Pest".
Jacob Herzl (1832-1902) a Jewish-German merchant and banker, was Theodor Herzl's father. Jacob was born to a Jewish orthodox family in the city of Semlin, Servia (his father, Theodor's grandfather, was the warden of the Sephardic synagogue of the city). At the age of 15, he left home and started working as an apprentice at a supply company. Several decades later, he had a fortune of several millions of marks and his business spread over various fields of commerce and banking.
In 1857, Jacob married Jeanette Diamant and three years later their first child and only son, Theodor, was born. Jacob judged his son's unique and revolutionary ideas favorably and when he discovered what his real plan was – to establish an independent Jewish State in Palestine – he told him he must write a book about it, so as to appeal directly to the people (indeed, about a year later, Theodor Herzl wrote his book "Der Judenstaat").
Jacob died of a stroke in 1902, when Theodor was on his way to visit him. Of the loss of his father, Theodor Herzl said: "My dearest, my best… I owe him everything".
[1] leaf, 23X29 cm, folded into an envelope sized 9.5x13 cm. Good condition. Stains. Tears along edges and along fold lines. Ink corrosion in the line of the addressee's address.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $8,000
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Sold for: $12,500
Including buyer's premium
An album with approx. 250 press photographs, documenting the battle over Palestine and the battles in the Middle East during World War I. Palestine, Sinai Desert, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, ca. 1915-1918.
World War I is considered a turning point in the history of photography, being the first war that was photographed by all fighting parties. Although most of the photographers were sent to the main front in Eastern Europe, a smaller number of photographers operated also in the Middle East (some of them were soldiers who were appointed as photographers during the war, having no professional background) and their photographs constitute an early, important documentation of Palestine and the events of the war: the movement of the forces in desert areas, historic battles, the soldiers of the various armies, and of course – the views, holy sites and old cities, as they looked after hundreds of years without European presence.
The album before us contains an extraordinary number of photographs that were taken in Palestine and its surroundings, presumably by the British Army. Among others, appear in the album: a photograph of a British canon making its way to the front in the Sinai Desert, by means of a carriage harnessed to twenty-six horses; a photograph of the British forces preparing for the Battle of Romani (Sinai Desert, August 1916); group photograph of soldiers of four different nations, fighting for the same side: Indian, British, Italian and Algerian; Photograph of British soldiers getting dressed before the battle over Jerusalem; a large photograph of Allenby reading the Jerusalem Declaration at the foot of David's Tower; an aerial photograph of Jerusalem during the war; photograph of Jews in traditional attire and British soldiers at the Western Wall Plaza; photograph of the Zionist reception for the British army – a formation of boys saluting General Allenby and raising a welcome sign; a photograph of Indian horsemen riding in the streets of downtown Haifa; a series of photographs – building a bridge of barrels across a river in Palestine [The Jordan River?]; many photographs of prisoners of war of the Turkish army (among them photographs from detention camps in Egypt); sports competitions conducted in the desert (boxing, riding, wrestling on camels and more); several photographs of the Zionist Commission delegation headed by Chaim Weizmann, which arrived in Palestine during the war (one photograph depicts Weizmann visiting Tel-Aviv, whose residents were driven out to Northern Palestine by the Turks); and more.
In addition, the album contains photographs documenting other places and battles in the Middle Eastern front as well as photographs from other places and times, used for propaganda purposes: a group of Arab rebels from the city of Hijaz (Saudi Arabia), raising the Arab Revolt flag; Arab Revolt leader Faisal bin Hussein (the future Faisal I, king of Iraq) in a tent, meeting the representative of the British Army; many photographs of British soldiers during the battles in Iraq and Damascus; a photograph of Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, standing on an oriental rug and wearing a tarbush (the photograph was distributed among the Arab population in the Middle east, with the intention to present the Emperor as the friend and protector of the Muslims); and more.
The photographs are mounted on the leaves of the album at their edges (so that they can be lifted and their verso, as well as other photographs mounted under them, can be seen). On the margins of most of them there are press information notes (English) and on verso, various stamps. Several photographs are captioned by hand on verso (French). Two of the photographs are stamped on their lower margins: Bonfils (presumably, they were used during the war, due to lack of photographs from Palestine).
Photographs of varying size and condition. Fair-good overall condition. Creases, stains and blemishes. Some of the photographs are detached. Album: approx. 35 cm. Creases, stains and small tears to margins of leaves. Several leaves detached or partly detached. Worn and rubbed binding (especially in the edges). Worn cloth spine, with tears to edges.
World War I is considered a turning point in the history of photography, being the first war that was photographed by all fighting parties. Although most of the photographers were sent to the main front in Eastern Europe, a smaller number of photographers operated also in the Middle East (some of them were soldiers who were appointed as photographers during the war, having no professional background) and their photographs constitute an early, important documentation of Palestine and the events of the war: the movement of the forces in desert areas, historic battles, the soldiers of the various armies, and of course – the views, holy sites and old cities, as they looked after hundreds of years without European presence.
The album before us contains an extraordinary number of photographs that were taken in Palestine and its surroundings, presumably by the British Army. Among others, appear in the album: a photograph of a British canon making its way to the front in the Sinai Desert, by means of a carriage harnessed to twenty-six horses; a photograph of the British forces preparing for the Battle of Romani (Sinai Desert, August 1916); group photograph of soldiers of four different nations, fighting for the same side: Indian, British, Italian and Algerian; Photograph of British soldiers getting dressed before the battle over Jerusalem; a large photograph of Allenby reading the Jerusalem Declaration at the foot of David's Tower; an aerial photograph of Jerusalem during the war; photograph of Jews in traditional attire and British soldiers at the Western Wall Plaza; photograph of the Zionist reception for the British army – a formation of boys saluting General Allenby and raising a welcome sign; a photograph of Indian horsemen riding in the streets of downtown Haifa; a series of photographs – building a bridge of barrels across a river in Palestine [The Jordan River?]; many photographs of prisoners of war of the Turkish army (among them photographs from detention camps in Egypt); sports competitions conducted in the desert (boxing, riding, wrestling on camels and more); several photographs of the Zionist Commission delegation headed by Chaim Weizmann, which arrived in Palestine during the war (one photograph depicts Weizmann visiting Tel-Aviv, whose residents were driven out to Northern Palestine by the Turks); and more.
In addition, the album contains photographs documenting other places and battles in the Middle Eastern front as well as photographs from other places and times, used for propaganda purposes: a group of Arab rebels from the city of Hijaz (Saudi Arabia), raising the Arab Revolt flag; Arab Revolt leader Faisal bin Hussein (the future Faisal I, king of Iraq) in a tent, meeting the representative of the British Army; many photographs of British soldiers during the battles in Iraq and Damascus; a photograph of Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, standing on an oriental rug and wearing a tarbush (the photograph was distributed among the Arab population in the Middle east, with the intention to present the Emperor as the friend and protector of the Muslims); and more.
The photographs are mounted on the leaves of the album at their edges (so that they can be lifted and their verso, as well as other photographs mounted under them, can be seen). On the margins of most of them there are press information notes (English) and on verso, various stamps. Several photographs are captioned by hand on verso (French). Two of the photographs are stamped on their lower margins: Bonfils (presumably, they were used during the war, due to lack of photographs from Palestine).
Photographs of varying size and condition. Fair-good overall condition. Creases, stains and blemishes. Some of the photographs are detached. Album: approx. 35 cm. Creases, stains and small tears to margins of leaves. Several leaves detached or partly detached. Worn and rubbed binding (especially in the edges). Worn cloth spine, with tears to edges.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000
Sold for: $17,500
Including buyer's premium
"Proclamation of Marital Law in Jerusalem", a trilingual proclamation which was printed a short time after the conquest of Jerusalem by the British on December 9, 1917, containing the text of the Jerusalem Declaration – the official declaration of Martial Law in Jerusalem by Sir Edmund Allenby. [Jerusalem?]: Govt. Press, December 1917. English, French and Italian. The first proclamation that was printed under the British Mandate for Palestine. 300 copies printed.
The proclamation before us bears a dedication handwritten by Ronald Storrs, the first British governor of Jerusalem: "Ronald Storrs / military governor / to Colonel Isham" [Colonel Ralph Heyward Isham].
The Turkish army retreated from Jerusalem on the eve of December 8, 1917. The next day, the Muslim Mayor of Jerusalem, Hussein el-Husayni, and his entourage gave their written submission and the keys of the city to the British Army. The official surrender took place two days later, on December 11. On the same day, General Allenby entered Jerusalem and announced its conquest during a festive ceremony in the presence of the commanders-in-chief of the Allies of World War I. The great importance Allenby attributed to the event was reflected, among others, in his decision to dismount his horse before entering the Jaffa gate and in this declaration, which was read in several languages and was printed on two different broadsides (the one before us and an additional one, which was printed in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Greek).
In his declaration, Allenby chose to emphasize the importance of Jerusalem's uniqueness as a city which is sacred to the three religions: "[…] do I make known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest or customary place of prayer, of whatsoever form of the three religions, will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred".
Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs (1881-1955), who signed the proclamation before us, was the first military governor of Jerusalem during the British Mandate. In 1904, he was sent to serve in the Egyptian Civil Administration and within several years, was appointed as the secretary of the High Commissioner in Egypt, Henry McMahon. Storrs was fluent in Arabic and was familiar with the culture of the area. During the years of the war, he was in contact with the leader of the Hashemite dynasty, Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi, and he was the person to introduce him to the British army officer Thomas Edward Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia").
After the war, Storrs was appointed the military governor of Jerusalem, after the officer who was supposed to receive the appointment, Bill Burton, declined the offer claiming that "the only sufferable places in Jerusalem are the bathtub and the bed".
Although he did much for the city (issued coins, renewed the postal services, enacted a law for cladding the houses of Jerusalem with stone), more than once Storrs was accused of hostile and discriminating attitude towards the Jews and there were people who saw him as responsible for the 1920 and 1921 Riots. In his memoir, Storrs recalled: "I had to endure such a tempest of vituperation in the Palestine and World Hebrew Press that I am still unable to understand how I did not emerge from it an anti-Semite for life". Nonetheless, Storrs felt affection for several key figures of the Jewish Yishuv and was a friend of Chaim Nachman Bialik, Achad HaAm and even Ze'ev Jabotinsky. He died in England in 1955, at the age of 73.
The receiver of the proclamation, Ralph Heyward Isham (1890-1955) was an American collector of books and manuscripts, who was known for purchasing documents and manuscripts of the writer James Boswell. During World War I, he served in the British Army; it was then that he presumably received the proclamation before us from Ronald Storrs.
Although 300 copies of the proclamation were printed, it seems that only a few copies had survived (Isham himself believed that only three copies of the proclamation had survived. See enclosed article of the New York Times).
65.5X50 cm. Good overall condition. Stains. Brittle paper. Tears to the margins, some of them restored.
Enclosed:
A clipping from the New York Times (May 16, 1936) – an article describing the proclamation before us (accompanied by a picture). English.
Provenance:
1. The Collection of Ralph Heyward Isham.
2. Bought at Christie's, New York. Auction no. 6824, May 17, 1989.
The proclamation before us bears a dedication handwritten by Ronald Storrs, the first British governor of Jerusalem: "Ronald Storrs / military governor / to Colonel Isham" [Colonel Ralph Heyward Isham].
The Turkish army retreated from Jerusalem on the eve of December 8, 1917. The next day, the Muslim Mayor of Jerusalem, Hussein el-Husayni, and his entourage gave their written submission and the keys of the city to the British Army. The official surrender took place two days later, on December 11. On the same day, General Allenby entered Jerusalem and announced its conquest during a festive ceremony in the presence of the commanders-in-chief of the Allies of World War I. The great importance Allenby attributed to the event was reflected, among others, in his decision to dismount his horse before entering the Jaffa gate and in this declaration, which was read in several languages and was printed on two different broadsides (the one before us and an additional one, which was printed in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Greek).
In his declaration, Allenby chose to emphasize the importance of Jerusalem's uniqueness as a city which is sacred to the three religions: "[…] do I make known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest or customary place of prayer, of whatsoever form of the three religions, will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred".
Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs (1881-1955), who signed the proclamation before us, was the first military governor of Jerusalem during the British Mandate. In 1904, he was sent to serve in the Egyptian Civil Administration and within several years, was appointed as the secretary of the High Commissioner in Egypt, Henry McMahon. Storrs was fluent in Arabic and was familiar with the culture of the area. During the years of the war, he was in contact with the leader of the Hashemite dynasty, Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi, and he was the person to introduce him to the British army officer Thomas Edward Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia").
After the war, Storrs was appointed the military governor of Jerusalem, after the officer who was supposed to receive the appointment, Bill Burton, declined the offer claiming that "the only sufferable places in Jerusalem are the bathtub and the bed".
Although he did much for the city (issued coins, renewed the postal services, enacted a law for cladding the houses of Jerusalem with stone), more than once Storrs was accused of hostile and discriminating attitude towards the Jews and there were people who saw him as responsible for the 1920 and 1921 Riots. In his memoir, Storrs recalled: "I had to endure such a tempest of vituperation in the Palestine and World Hebrew Press that I am still unable to understand how I did not emerge from it an anti-Semite for life". Nonetheless, Storrs felt affection for several key figures of the Jewish Yishuv and was a friend of Chaim Nachman Bialik, Achad HaAm and even Ze'ev Jabotinsky. He died in England in 1955, at the age of 73.
The receiver of the proclamation, Ralph Heyward Isham (1890-1955) was an American collector of books and manuscripts, who was known for purchasing documents and manuscripts of the writer James Boswell. During World War I, he served in the British Army; it was then that he presumably received the proclamation before us from Ronald Storrs.
Although 300 copies of the proclamation were printed, it seems that only a few copies had survived (Isham himself believed that only three copies of the proclamation had survived. See enclosed article of the New York Times).
65.5X50 cm. Good overall condition. Stains. Brittle paper. Tears to the margins, some of them restored.
Enclosed:
A clipping from the New York Times (May 16, 1936) – an article describing the proclamation before us (accompanied by a picture). English.
Provenance:
1. The Collection of Ralph Heyward Isham.
2. Bought at Christie's, New York. Auction no. 6824, May 17, 1989.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000
Sold for: $18,750
Including buyer's premium
A map of Palestine, stone relief made by Elazar Alperin (a smaller version of a stone relief made by Alperin for the British Empire Exhibition in London). Jerusalem, [ca. 1924].
Carved Hebron stone.
A topographic relief map carved into a slab of reddish Hebron stone, based on a map of Palestine published by the Palestine Exploration Fund, without the area of the southern Negev and Eilat. On the lower part of the raised stone frame surrounding the map, appears the caption "Eretz Yisrael" (Palestine). Signed "A. Aya" (one of Alperin's nicknames) and "Gedud HaAvodah al shem Y. Trumpeldor, Jerusalem" (The Y. Trumpeldor Labor Battalion, Jerusalem).
Elazar Alperin (1896-1983), also known as "Barada" and "Aya", was born in Bialystok (then in Russia) and immigrated to Palestine in 1919. In 1920, he was appointed by Yosef Trumpeldor to command the defense of Metulah and after Trumpeldor's death, became a member of the Yosef Trumpeldor Labor and Defense Battalion which was established by Yitzchak Sadeh in memory of Trumpeldor, where he worked in paving roads, fishing in the Sea of the Galilee and other works; in 1923 he moved to Jerusalem. He studied for about a year in Bezalel, where he acquired the artistic aspects of stone sculpting, until he was expelled from the school. At the same time, he became a member of a Labor Battalion which was then located near the Ratisbonne Monastery. With the other members of the Labor Battalion, he learned the art of quarrying and carving in stone from Arab craftsmen.
In April 1924, the British Empire Exhibition opened in London; the exhibition was open for two seasons, from April 1924 to November 1924 and from May 1925 to November 1925, and due to pressure by the High Commissioner for Palestine, Herbert Samuel, a Jewish Palestine pavilion was included in it, despite Palestine being a mandate area and not a colony. The Labor battalion was then in a difficult financial situation and before the Exhibition, Yitzchak Sadeh appealed to the Zionist administration with a request for a loan that will enable the creation of various stone products to be presented in the exhibition, among them a carved stone map of Palestine. The mission of carving the map, more than two meters long, was assigned to Alperin. After the exhibition closed, the displays disassembled and the exhibits sold, the map disappeared, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Shortly after he created the large map, Alperin carved the map before us – a similar, smaller map – and gave it as a gift to the Jerusalemite contractor Shimon Diskin for providing work and livelihood. Diskin set the map on a wall of his house in the Rechavya neighborhood of Jerusalem, where it remained until his house was demolished.
94X57X19 cm. weight: approx. 300 kg. Good condition. Sawn iron poles protruding out of the sides of the slab. Small chip to frame. Several stains to frame.
For additional information, see enclosed article: "A Map of Israel Carved in Stone", by Dov Gavish (2004).
Carved Hebron stone.
A topographic relief map carved into a slab of reddish Hebron stone, based on a map of Palestine published by the Palestine Exploration Fund, without the area of the southern Negev and Eilat. On the lower part of the raised stone frame surrounding the map, appears the caption "Eretz Yisrael" (Palestine). Signed "A. Aya" (one of Alperin's nicknames) and "Gedud HaAvodah al shem Y. Trumpeldor, Jerusalem" (The Y. Trumpeldor Labor Battalion, Jerusalem).
Elazar Alperin (1896-1983), also known as "Barada" and "Aya", was born in Bialystok (then in Russia) and immigrated to Palestine in 1919. In 1920, he was appointed by Yosef Trumpeldor to command the defense of Metulah and after Trumpeldor's death, became a member of the Yosef Trumpeldor Labor and Defense Battalion which was established by Yitzchak Sadeh in memory of Trumpeldor, where he worked in paving roads, fishing in the Sea of the Galilee and other works; in 1923 he moved to Jerusalem. He studied for about a year in Bezalel, where he acquired the artistic aspects of stone sculpting, until he was expelled from the school. At the same time, he became a member of a Labor Battalion which was then located near the Ratisbonne Monastery. With the other members of the Labor Battalion, he learned the art of quarrying and carving in stone from Arab craftsmen.
In April 1924, the British Empire Exhibition opened in London; the exhibition was open for two seasons, from April 1924 to November 1924 and from May 1925 to November 1925, and due to pressure by the High Commissioner for Palestine, Herbert Samuel, a Jewish Palestine pavilion was included in it, despite Palestine being a mandate area and not a colony. The Labor battalion was then in a difficult financial situation and before the Exhibition, Yitzchak Sadeh appealed to the Zionist administration with a request for a loan that will enable the creation of various stone products to be presented in the exhibition, among them a carved stone map of Palestine. The mission of carving the map, more than two meters long, was assigned to Alperin. After the exhibition closed, the displays disassembled and the exhibits sold, the map disappeared, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Shortly after he created the large map, Alperin carved the map before us – a similar, smaller map – and gave it as a gift to the Jerusalemite contractor Shimon Diskin for providing work and livelihood. Diskin set the map on a wall of his house in the Rechavya neighborhood of Jerusalem, where it remained until his house was demolished.
94X57X19 cm. weight: approx. 300 kg. Good condition. Sawn iron poles protruding out of the sides of the slab. Small chip to frame. Several stains to frame.
For additional information, see enclosed article: "A Map of Israel Carved in Stone", by Dov Gavish (2004).
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $2,500
Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000
Sold for: $3,125
Including buyer's premium
Collection of items documenting the philanthropic activity of the couple Yefim and Sarah Kirschner for various Jewish and Zionist organizations, and especially for the Maritime school of Betar in Italy and an aid organization for Jewish refugees in France. The collection contains letters sent to the couple, some thanking them for their activity and others requesting their financial aid, including an interesting letter handwritten by Ze'ev Jabotinsky (sent from the USA, several months prior to his death). Italy, France, USA, Palestine and elsewhere, the 1930s and 1940s (some of them from earlier or later years). Russian and French (several items in other languages).
Yefim (Ephraim) Kirschner, a fur trader, was born in Odessa in 1879. From Odessa he moved to Germany and from there, to Paris. Throughout his life, Kirschner was in contact with various Zionist leaders and Jewish organization, devoting his time and donating a considerable part of his fortune to support their activities. Several fundraisers were held in his house in Paris, organized by his wife Sarah, and many appealed to the couple with requests for donations and assistance.
Today, Kirschner is remembered mainly due to his contribution to the activity of the maritime school of Betar in Civitavecchia, Italy, during the 1930s. His contribution enabled, among others, the purchase of a training ship for the school (the ship was named "Sarah I" after Kirschner's wife). During this period of time, he was introduced to Ze'ev Jabotinsky and the two remained in touch during the following years. Kirschner's activity for the maritime school of Betar and for the Revisionist Movement were documented by Yirmiyahu Halpern in his book "The Revival of Hebrew Seamanship" (Hebrew) (Tel-Aviv, 1961). In the book, Halpern describes Kirschner as "One of the last of the Mohicans of his kind in our generation – a Jewish figure of Morozov [a Russian merchant who financially supported Russian literature and art], one of the characters commemorated by Jabotinsky, using his artistic imagination, in his book 'Piatero'".
The collection before us includes photographs of the school in Civitavecchia as well as letters, certificates and documents shedding light on the diverse philanthropic activity of Yefim and Sarah Kirschner, on their contacts with Jewish leaders around the world and their forgotten contribution to the Zionist enterprise.
The collection can be divided into several sections:
1. Items related to the maritime school of Betar in Civitavecchia
The maritime school for training Hebrew seamen and marine officers in Civitavecchia, Italy, operated during the years 1935-1938 and was the first institution in Modern History to train Hebrew marine officers. Yirmiyahu Halpern, a member of Betar and the Revisionist Movement, was the person to initiate the establishment of the school, which trained three years of students from Europe and Palestine. The school training ship, TS Sarah I, was purchased with Kirschner's money and served the school until its sinking in 1937 (the ship sank near the coast of Corsica after returning from a visit to Palestine).
Among the items:
• Photographs of the students and teachers of the school, including: group photographs taken on deck of the TS Sarah I (one of them depicting Kirschner); a photograph of a formation of the second-year students of the school; photograph taken during a student group visit to Palestine; and more. Some of the photographs are signed in the plate "Foto Fabiani Civitavecchia".
• A handwritten copy of a letter sent by Yirmiyahu Halpern to Ze'ev Jabotinsky, dealing with the TS Sarah I. October 1935. At the end of the letter it is noted that an additional copy was sent to Yefim Kirschner. The letter bears a Tel-Hai Fund stamp depicting the TS Sarah I.
• "Jewish Marine League" – a booklet issued by the Jewish Marine League established in order to support the maritime school in Civitavecchia and operating from New-York. The booklet contains photographs of the school and information about its activity and the league's activity.
2. Letters to Yefim and Sarah Kirschner dealing with their philanthropic activity
• Certificate of appreciation given to the Kirschners subsequent to a fundraiser that they held for an aid organization for Jewish refugees in France - Foyer des Israelites Refugies. The certificate is written on parchment, in neat script (in Russian) and signed by the members of the organization. November 1937.
• Two letters of appreciation to the Kirschners by the Union Pour la Protection des Israelites Emigres et de leurs enfants ("The Union for Protection of Jewish Refugees and Their Children"; presumably, the first name of the Foyer des Israelites Refugies).
• A letter to Yefim Kirschner, handwritten and signed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky (three and a half pages. Russian). In the letter, sent from New-York in May 1940, Jabotinsky asks Kirschner for a donation of $15,000 for funding his activity in the USA and achieving the goal of establishing a united Zionist front that will demand Jewish settlement in Palestine.
At the beginning of the letter, Jabotinsky writes about the situation in Europe and the apparent need for a new haven for Jewish refugees of war – Palestine: "I think that towards the end of the war there will be millions of homeless Jews, so homeless that we could only bring them back to a 'Jewish State'. The Great Powers will not find any other country for this purpose but Palestine (although it now seems that very soon they will be able to find)… England will not object, and no one will take the Arabs into consideration".
Later in the letter, Jabotinsky addresses the difficulties in recruiting the support of American Jews and establishing a united Zionist front, and the great importance of his mission: "This of course is the final great mission of my life. It is especially difficult since everyone here is in deep sleep, Zionist and those who have assimilated alike, and I am treated as people always and everywhere treat a person who is trying to awaken others… our people are dying in Eastern Europe, and now the last hour has come in which our generation will be able to fulfill its historical mission…".
At the end of the letter, Jabotinsky tells Kirschner about his son who is imprisoned in Palestine [in 1937, Eri Jabotinsky was imprisoned by the police of the British Mandate after being involved in a retaliation act against Arabs].
Jabotinsky came to the USA in 1940, as part of a delegation of the New Zionist Federation for establishing a Hebrew army. During his visit, he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. In his final years, only he knew about his illness and he saw his mission in the USA as his final great enterprise, as is reflected in the letter before us.
• Additional letters sent to the Kirschners: requests for aid, invitations, letters of appreciation, and more. Among them, a French letter by the Tel Hai Fund, hand-signed by Johanna Jabotinsky; a letter hand-signed by Ezra Taubal, one of the leaders of the Jewish community of Argentine; baron Robert de-Rothschild's calling card, with several handwritten lines; and more.
3. Additional items from the estate of Yefim Kirschner
• Official documents of the Mandate Government – extract from the register of land indicating that land was purchased by Kirschner in the area of Tulkarm.
• Personal photographs; presumably from his wedding day.
• An identifying document, issued to Kirschner in France in 1939.
• And more.
A total of 55 items (35 letters and paper items and 20 photographs). Size and condition vary.
Yefim (Ephraim) Kirschner, a fur trader, was born in Odessa in 1879. From Odessa he moved to Germany and from there, to Paris. Throughout his life, Kirschner was in contact with various Zionist leaders and Jewish organization, devoting his time and donating a considerable part of his fortune to support their activities. Several fundraisers were held in his house in Paris, organized by his wife Sarah, and many appealed to the couple with requests for donations and assistance.
Today, Kirschner is remembered mainly due to his contribution to the activity of the maritime school of Betar in Civitavecchia, Italy, during the 1930s. His contribution enabled, among others, the purchase of a training ship for the school (the ship was named "Sarah I" after Kirschner's wife). During this period of time, he was introduced to Ze'ev Jabotinsky and the two remained in touch during the following years. Kirschner's activity for the maritime school of Betar and for the Revisionist Movement were documented by Yirmiyahu Halpern in his book "The Revival of Hebrew Seamanship" (Hebrew) (Tel-Aviv, 1961). In the book, Halpern describes Kirschner as "One of the last of the Mohicans of his kind in our generation – a Jewish figure of Morozov [a Russian merchant who financially supported Russian literature and art], one of the characters commemorated by Jabotinsky, using his artistic imagination, in his book 'Piatero'".
The collection before us includes photographs of the school in Civitavecchia as well as letters, certificates and documents shedding light on the diverse philanthropic activity of Yefim and Sarah Kirschner, on their contacts with Jewish leaders around the world and their forgotten contribution to the Zionist enterprise.
The collection can be divided into several sections:
1. Items related to the maritime school of Betar in Civitavecchia
The maritime school for training Hebrew seamen and marine officers in Civitavecchia, Italy, operated during the years 1935-1938 and was the first institution in Modern History to train Hebrew marine officers. Yirmiyahu Halpern, a member of Betar and the Revisionist Movement, was the person to initiate the establishment of the school, which trained three years of students from Europe and Palestine. The school training ship, TS Sarah I, was purchased with Kirschner's money and served the school until its sinking in 1937 (the ship sank near the coast of Corsica after returning from a visit to Palestine).
Among the items:
• Photographs of the students and teachers of the school, including: group photographs taken on deck of the TS Sarah I (one of them depicting Kirschner); a photograph of a formation of the second-year students of the school; photograph taken during a student group visit to Palestine; and more. Some of the photographs are signed in the plate "Foto Fabiani Civitavecchia".
• A handwritten copy of a letter sent by Yirmiyahu Halpern to Ze'ev Jabotinsky, dealing with the TS Sarah I. October 1935. At the end of the letter it is noted that an additional copy was sent to Yefim Kirschner. The letter bears a Tel-Hai Fund stamp depicting the TS Sarah I.
• "Jewish Marine League" – a booklet issued by the Jewish Marine League established in order to support the maritime school in Civitavecchia and operating from New-York. The booklet contains photographs of the school and information about its activity and the league's activity.
2. Letters to Yefim and Sarah Kirschner dealing with their philanthropic activity
• Certificate of appreciation given to the Kirschners subsequent to a fundraiser that they held for an aid organization for Jewish refugees in France - Foyer des Israelites Refugies. The certificate is written on parchment, in neat script (in Russian) and signed by the members of the organization. November 1937.
• Two letters of appreciation to the Kirschners by the Union Pour la Protection des Israelites Emigres et de leurs enfants ("The Union for Protection of Jewish Refugees and Their Children"; presumably, the first name of the Foyer des Israelites Refugies).
• A letter to Yefim Kirschner, handwritten and signed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky (three and a half pages. Russian). In the letter, sent from New-York in May 1940, Jabotinsky asks Kirschner for a donation of $15,000 for funding his activity in the USA and achieving the goal of establishing a united Zionist front that will demand Jewish settlement in Palestine.
At the beginning of the letter, Jabotinsky writes about the situation in Europe and the apparent need for a new haven for Jewish refugees of war – Palestine: "I think that towards the end of the war there will be millions of homeless Jews, so homeless that we could only bring them back to a 'Jewish State'. The Great Powers will not find any other country for this purpose but Palestine (although it now seems that very soon they will be able to find)… England will not object, and no one will take the Arabs into consideration".
Later in the letter, Jabotinsky addresses the difficulties in recruiting the support of American Jews and establishing a united Zionist front, and the great importance of his mission: "This of course is the final great mission of my life. It is especially difficult since everyone here is in deep sleep, Zionist and those who have assimilated alike, and I am treated as people always and everywhere treat a person who is trying to awaken others… our people are dying in Eastern Europe, and now the last hour has come in which our generation will be able to fulfill its historical mission…".
At the end of the letter, Jabotinsky tells Kirschner about his son who is imprisoned in Palestine [in 1937, Eri Jabotinsky was imprisoned by the police of the British Mandate after being involved in a retaliation act against Arabs].
Jabotinsky came to the USA in 1940, as part of a delegation of the New Zionist Federation for establishing a Hebrew army. During his visit, he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. In his final years, only he knew about his illness and he saw his mission in the USA as his final great enterprise, as is reflected in the letter before us.
• Additional letters sent to the Kirschners: requests for aid, invitations, letters of appreciation, and more. Among them, a French letter by the Tel Hai Fund, hand-signed by Johanna Jabotinsky; a letter hand-signed by Ezra Taubal, one of the leaders of the Jewish community of Argentine; baron Robert de-Rothschild's calling card, with several handwritten lines; and more.
3. Additional items from the estate of Yefim Kirschner
• Official documents of the Mandate Government – extract from the register of land indicating that land was purchased by Kirschner in the area of Tulkarm.
• Personal photographs; presumably from his wedding day.
• An identifying document, issued to Kirschner in France in 1939.
• And more.
A total of 55 items (35 letters and paper items and 20 photographs). Size and condition vary.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $4,000
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
Deck log book, printed and filled-in by hand, documenting the voyage of the illegal immigration ship "Atzma'ut" (Pan Crescent). Venice, Burgas, Cyprus and elsewhere, 1947-1948. Italian and English.
The ships "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot" were the two largest ships that took part in the illegal immigration to Palestine. The two were purchased by the "Mossad LeAliyah B" (Institution for Immigration B) in 1947 in the USA (Their original names were the SS Pan Crescent and the SS Pan York, or the common nickname "The Pans") and due to their exceptional size and ventilation system, they could carry approx. 7500 immigrants each (together, the two carried approx. a fifth of the total number of illegal immigrants to Palestine).
In 1947, the ships sailed to the port of Venice under the flag of Panama and from there to Constanţa (Romania) where they were secretly renovated in order to be turned into immigrant ships. For several months, the leadership of the Yishuv refused to approve the voyage (mainly due to the fear of hurting Israel's chances before the vote of the UN on November 29); however, eventually, in December 1947, the two decided 'off their own bat' to leave towards Palestine. When they were far out at sea, David Ben-Gurion chose their Hebrew names, "Atzma'ut" (Independence) and "Kibbutz Galuyot" (The Gathering of the Exiles). The ships were discovered by the British at an early stage of the journey, and battleships were sent to prevent their arrival to Palestine. Fearing for the passengers' lives, the captains of the ships were ordered to obey the British orders and they sailed without resistance to the detention camps in Cyprus, and ceased activity.
With the Declaration of the State of Israel, on the fifth of Iyar 1948, a festive ceremony was held on the decks of the "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot", and shortly afterwards, the Panama flag was removed and the Israel flag raised and they left for the port of Haifa. In the months after the establishment of the State, the "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot" carried thousands of immigrants from Cyprus, Italy, Marseille and North Africa.
Before us is the deck log book of the ship "Atzma'ut", documenting the various stations of the voyage during the months of September 1947 - May 1948. Among other things, the log refers to the communication between the two ships throughout the journey; the negotiations with the British authorities at sea and the agreements that were reached; the arrival of the passengers to the detention camps in Cyprus; a visit of a British medical officer on the ship before the illegal immigrants were taken off them; the appointment of a military guard and the closure of the ships; the removal of the arrest warrant regarding the two ships on the day of the Declaration of Independence; the replacement of the the ships' home port from Panama to Haifa; waiting for a leave pass to be given by the Israeli government; and more.
The log is composed of forms to be filled-in by the captain, with spaces for recording the conditions of the voyage (the wind, route, atmospheric pressure and additional details) and spaces for the captain's comments. The first part of the log was filled-in, presumably, by the Italian member of the crew who navigated the ship, and its second part (from the day it left towards Palestine), by the Jewish captain, Yitzchak (Ike) Aronowicz.
[62] leaves, approx. 34.5 cm. Good condition. A few stains. Creases, stains and tears to margins of the cover. A strip of cloth along the spine, with tears and blemishes. Stamps on each one of the pages.
The ships "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot" were the two largest ships that took part in the illegal immigration to Palestine. The two were purchased by the "Mossad LeAliyah B" (Institution for Immigration B) in 1947 in the USA (Their original names were the SS Pan Crescent and the SS Pan York, or the common nickname "The Pans") and due to their exceptional size and ventilation system, they could carry approx. 7500 immigrants each (together, the two carried approx. a fifth of the total number of illegal immigrants to Palestine).
In 1947, the ships sailed to the port of Venice under the flag of Panama and from there to Constanţa (Romania) where they were secretly renovated in order to be turned into immigrant ships. For several months, the leadership of the Yishuv refused to approve the voyage (mainly due to the fear of hurting Israel's chances before the vote of the UN on November 29); however, eventually, in December 1947, the two decided 'off their own bat' to leave towards Palestine. When they were far out at sea, David Ben-Gurion chose their Hebrew names, "Atzma'ut" (Independence) and "Kibbutz Galuyot" (The Gathering of the Exiles). The ships were discovered by the British at an early stage of the journey, and battleships were sent to prevent their arrival to Palestine. Fearing for the passengers' lives, the captains of the ships were ordered to obey the British orders and they sailed without resistance to the detention camps in Cyprus, and ceased activity.
With the Declaration of the State of Israel, on the fifth of Iyar 1948, a festive ceremony was held on the decks of the "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot", and shortly afterwards, the Panama flag was removed and the Israel flag raised and they left for the port of Haifa. In the months after the establishment of the State, the "Atzma'ut" and "Kibbutz Galuyot" carried thousands of immigrants from Cyprus, Italy, Marseille and North Africa.
Before us is the deck log book of the ship "Atzma'ut", documenting the various stations of the voyage during the months of September 1947 - May 1948. Among other things, the log refers to the communication between the two ships throughout the journey; the negotiations with the British authorities at sea and the agreements that were reached; the arrival of the passengers to the detention camps in Cyprus; a visit of a British medical officer on the ship before the illegal immigrants were taken off them; the appointment of a military guard and the closure of the ships; the removal of the arrest warrant regarding the two ships on the day of the Declaration of Independence; the replacement of the the ships' home port from Panama to Haifa; waiting for a leave pass to be given by the Israeli government; and more.
The log is composed of forms to be filled-in by the captain, with spaces for recording the conditions of the voyage (the wind, route, atmospheric pressure and additional details) and spaces for the captain's comments. The first part of the log was filled-in, presumably, by the Italian member of the crew who navigated the ship, and its second part (from the day it left towards Palestine), by the Jewish captain, Yitzchak (Ike) Aronowicz.
[62] leaves, approx. 34.5 cm. Good condition. A few stains. Creases, stains and tears to margins of the cover. A strip of cloth along the spine, with tears and blemishes. Stamps on each one of the pages.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue
Auction 66 - Rare and Important Items
May 15, 2019
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000
Sold for: $4,000
Including buyer's premium
26 press photographs from the War of Independence, many of them documenting the Arab side of the war. Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Safed and elsewhere, 1948.
Among them: a photograph from the day the port of Haifa was handed to the IDF – a formation of naval officers raising the flag of Israel and the flag of the Israeli navy for the first time in the port, upon the entrance of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion; two Jewish snipers crouching before an embrasure in an improvised "Fortress" made of blocks on a Tel-Aviv rooftop; an Egyptian fighter aircraft which was shot down at the sea-shore of Tel-Aviv; an Arab propaganda photograph – a staged picture of a Palmach fighter surrendering to armed Arabs (the fighter in the photograph is an Arab 'actor' in costume); a photograph of Jaffa as a ghost town, after being abandoned by its residents; a photograph of Abdullah I of Jordan and the Iraqi regent Abd al-Ilah in Oman, wearing military uniforms several weeks before the Arab armies' invasion of Palestine; a photograph of the Arab Legion commander, John Bagot Glubb, talking to one of his officers in Jerusalem; Arab fighters lying in wait for Jewish convoys on Al-Qastal; an Arab sniper piercing a water pipe supplying a Jewish settlement close to Jerusalem; Syrian fighters during a temporary truce; Egyptian fighters during a temporary truce; Arab women in line for receiving cooking oil in Jerusalem; and more.
On verso of most of the photographs there are stamps and handwriting, on verso of some of them there are information notes and mounted newspaper clippings. A Daily Picture Order form on verso of one photograph.
Size and condition of photographs vary, approx. 15X20.5-25.5X20 cm. Good overall condition. Stains and blemishes (most of them minor, on verso). Handwritten marks on recto of some.
Among them: a photograph from the day the port of Haifa was handed to the IDF – a formation of naval officers raising the flag of Israel and the flag of the Israeli navy for the first time in the port, upon the entrance of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion; two Jewish snipers crouching before an embrasure in an improvised "Fortress" made of blocks on a Tel-Aviv rooftop; an Egyptian fighter aircraft which was shot down at the sea-shore of Tel-Aviv; an Arab propaganda photograph – a staged picture of a Palmach fighter surrendering to armed Arabs (the fighter in the photograph is an Arab 'actor' in costume); a photograph of Jaffa as a ghost town, after being abandoned by its residents; a photograph of Abdullah I of Jordan and the Iraqi regent Abd al-Ilah in Oman, wearing military uniforms several weeks before the Arab armies' invasion of Palestine; a photograph of the Arab Legion commander, John Bagot Glubb, talking to one of his officers in Jerusalem; Arab fighters lying in wait for Jewish convoys on Al-Qastal; an Arab sniper piercing a water pipe supplying a Jewish settlement close to Jerusalem; Syrian fighters during a temporary truce; Egyptian fighters during a temporary truce; Arab women in line for receiving cooking oil in Jerusalem; and more.
On verso of most of the photographs there are stamps and handwriting, on verso of some of them there are information notes and mounted newspaper clippings. A Daily Picture Order form on verso of one photograph.
Size and condition of photographs vary, approx. 15X20.5-25.5X20 cm. Good overall condition. Stains and blemishes (most of them minor, on verso). Handwritten marks on recto of some.
Category
Zionism, Palestine and the State of Israel
Catalogue