Interesting letter handwritten and signed by R. Aharon Kotler. Klestsk, [1930s].
Addressed to one of the associates of R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in Vilna. The letter discusses various actions to be taken regarding communal matters. At the beginning of the letter, R. Aharon proposes that a letter from R. Chaim Ozer be sent to the Agudath HaRabbanim convention in the United States, against the Jewish Federations in the U.S. (who tried to prevent Torah institutions in Europe from receiving funds from the centralized fundraising in the United States): "Please notify R. Chaim Ozer that the Agudath HaRabbanim convention in America will be taking place soon… it is imperative that they receive a protest in his name and in the name of all the yeshivot against the Federations…". Further in the letter, he discusses the Shechita Decree (at that time, R. Chaim Ozer was leading an international battle against antisemitic parties in the Polish parliament, who tried to outlaw shechita): "What is being done now about shechita? The newspapers reported that the law will be proposed in the Senate on the 11th of the month. It is crucial that a delegation of Torah leaders appears immediately before the government, and that is preferable to lobbying. May G-d have mercy on the remnants of His nation speedily. Aharon Kotler".
R. Aharon Kotler (1892-1962), disciple of the Alter of Slabodka, was a prominent, outstanding Torah scholar (while he was still a young student, the Or Same'ach predicted that he would be the "R. Akiva Eger" of the next generation). He was the son-in-law of R. Isser Zalman Meltzer. He served as lecturer and dean of the Slutsk yeshiva, and during WWI, he fled with the yeshiva students to Poland, reestablishing the yeshiva in Kletsk. He was one of the yeshiva deans closely associated with R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and the Chafetz Chaim. A founder of Vaad HaYeshivot and member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in Lithuania, he was very involved in managing communal matters in Poland. During the Holocaust, he escaped to the United States, and established the famous Lakewood yeshiva in New Jersey (a yeshiva which changed the face of the yeshiva world in the United States, by inculcating the passion and absolute devotion to Torah study, in the style of the Lithuanian yeshivot). He was one of the heads of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in the United States, and of the Chinuch HaAtzma'i in Eretz Israel.
Letter on a scrap of paper. Approx. 8X22 cm. 7 autograph lines. Good condition. Filing holes (affecting two letters).

Official printed form, "Application for Immigration Permit for a Relative Abroad", filled-in and signed by the applicant - R. Eliyahu Dushnitzer, dean of the Petach Tikva yeshiva. Petach Tikva, Av 1934.
In this document, R. Eliyahu Dushnitzer requests an immigration permit for the purpose of family reunification with his daughter, his son-in-law R. Gershon Fishman and their two children. The form contains information about R. Eliyahu Dushnitzer, and indicates that he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1925 on the ship Toronto, and that he works for his livelihood as yeshiva director, with a monthly pay of eight Palestine Pounds. In the document, R. Eliyahu commits to provide for his relatives, "so that they should not need support from any organization".
The document is signed by witnesses confirming the verity of the request: His disciples R. "Alter Williamovsky" (later a rabbi in the US), and R. "Yosef Yismach".
R. Eliyahu Dushnitzer (1876-1949), product of the Telz and Slabodka yeshivot, a foremost disciple of the Chafetz Chaim in his Kollel Kodashim. (He was amongst the minyan sent by the Chafetz Chaim to exorcise the dybbuk. During the ritual, the dybbuk testified that R. Eliyahu is regarded as a complete Tzaddik in Heaven). After R. Yerucham Levovitz left the Radin yeshiva, he succeeded him as mashgiach, and from 1926, he served as dean and spiritual director of the Lomzhe yeshiva in Petach Tikva. His lectures were published by his disciple R. Chaim Kanievsky, in the book Nachalat Eliyahu. At his funeral, the Chazon Ish attested that he was one of the 36 hidden righteous men of the generation.
His son-in-law, R. Gershon Chanoch Fishman (1900-1966), rabbi of Rutki-Kossaki near Łomża. In 1938, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, and served as rabbi of Herzliya for twenty-eight years. He is known for his scholarly books: Simchat HaChag, Mei HaChag, Sfeika D'Rabbanan, which were reprinted in several editions.
[1] leaf, official form (of the Jewish Agency). 33.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and filing holes.

Postcard, with a 7-line letter, handwritten and signed by R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz author of Chazon Ish. [Bnei Brak], 1937.
The letter was addressed to the Machaneh Yisrael kibbutz in Emek Yizre'el, at the beginning of shemittah, 1937. The Chazon Ish informs them that he relayed their letter to R. Chaim Ozer in Vilna, "together with a few other things", and he advises them to also write to the heads of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in Europe, R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz and R. Elchanan Wasserman, "to speed up matters". The Chazon Ish instructs them to send their letters directly to these rabbis, as it is unnecessary for him to comment on their letters, since he has already written to R. Chaim Ozer, and these rabbis will surely confer with R. Chaim Ozer on this matter. The letter is signed with the Chazon Ish's initials: "Peace, A.Y." (Avraham Yeshayahu).
On the verso of the postcard, the address and name of the sender, (A. Karelitz, Bnei Brak), also handwritten by the Chazon Ish.
R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (1879-1953), author of Chazon Ish, a foremost scholar in Halacha and Jewish philosophy in our generations. A preeminent Torah scholar and hidden righteous man, his first book Chazon Ish was published in 1911 anonymously, and he thereafter became known under that title. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1933, where he became recognized as the leading Torah authority, and stood at the helm of the resurrection of the Torah world in our generation. He encouraged and bolstered the observance of Halacha and of the commandments pertaining to the land. He battled fiercely for the observance of Shabbat and shemittah, and was the only Halachic authority whom the Orthodox, shemittah observant agriculturists relied upon for their questions on the laws of shemittah and other laws pertaining to the land. He authored and published numerous volumes of Chazon Ish, which were written with great toil and in-depth study, covering nearly all Talmudic topics. Shemittah 5698 was the first shemittah following the arrival of the Chazon Ish in Eretz Israel. That year, the Chazon Ish battled staunchly to uphold the shemittah, fiercely opposing the Heter Mechirah, which in his opinion was dubious. The Chazon Ish supported the few settlements who observed shemittah that year, in various ways. He delved into researching the Talmudic topics as well as the agricultural aspects, issuing halachic rulings and guiding the Agudist settlements in the intricacies of shemittah observance, which agricultural activities are prohibited and which are allowed, and procuring financial support for the valiant shemittah observers.
Postcard, 14X9 cm. Good-fair condition. Folding marks. Stamp and postmark (from 1937).
The letter and its picture were published in Halichot Sadeh, issue 52, Kislev 1987, p. 11.

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky. Bnei Brak, [Tevet 1961].
Letter addressed to the parents' committee of the Beit Yaakov HaMerkazi girls' school in Bnei Brak, against bringing in teachers from the state religious school system, to examine the students for the purpose of receiving scholarships - "Which would be destructive to the safeguarding of pure Jewish education". The Steipler encourages the board of parents to oppose this initiative: "…and considering that the opposition of the principal alone will surely engender complications, the board of parents should please express their opposition to this arrangement… and G-d willing, the government will agree to run the examinations in conformance with our values…".
R. Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985), an extraordinary Torah leader of the past generation. He was known as the Steipler, appellation derived from his hometown Hornostaipil, Ukraine. A foremost student of the Novardok yeshivot in Ukraine and Poland, he was reputed as one of the most diligent and scholarly students in the yeshiva world. Following his marriage to the sister of the Chazon Ish, he was appointed dean of the Novardok yeshiva in Pinsk, and in 1934, he immigrated to Eretz Israel to serve as dean of the Beit Yosef-Novardok yeshiva in Bnei Brak. For many years, he lived in Bnei Brak in the same house as his brother-in-law, the Chazon Ish. After the yeshiva shut down, he resumed his studies in Kollel Chazon Ish and in his home, and authored the Kehillot Yaakov series on most Talmudic topics and tractates. He was known as a wonder-worker who benefitted from Divine Inspiration, and many sought his blessings and counsel.
[1] leaf, official stationery. 23 cm. Approx. 15 autograph lines. Good condition. Folding marks.

Letter (6 lines) handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Ze'ev HaLevi Soloveitchik Rabbi of Brisk. Brisk (Brest), Iyar, 1928.
Addressed to the Brisker Relief Committee in the United States. The letter acknowledges the receipt of Kimcha DePischa funds for the destitute and for the rabbis of the city: "As a sign and proof for the delegates of the Brisker Relief in New York… that we received from you for the distribution of Matzot for the poor and Torah scholars the sum of… 1850 dollars. Thus, each rabbi here received from you, each person according to the amount determined by the delegates, the sum of… 375 dollars… so says Yitzchak Ze'ev son of R. Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik".
The Brisker Rov - R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik (1886-1959), son of R. Chaim HaLevi of Brisk, and grandson of the Beit HaLevi. Already at a young age, still in his father's lifetime, he was considered one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation. In 1918 (at the age of 31), he succeeded his forefathers as rabbi of Brisk, and with his Torah authority, he governed all religious matters in his city and the entire region. He managed to escape the Holocaust together with some of his children and immigrated to Jerusalem, where he reestablished his yeshiva. His authority was recognized by the entire Torah world in Eretz Israel and abroad.
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Leaf torn in half at middle fold (beneath conclusion of letter). At the foot of the letter, handwritten inscriptions from the members of the committee in the U.S. (recipients of the letter).
This letter was hitherto unknown, and is not included in the Igrot Maran R. Y.Z. HaLevi anthology (Jerusalem, 2008).