Lengthy letter in neat handwriting, signed twice by three leading rabbis of Jerusalem: R. Yeshaya Bardaki, R. Shmuel Salant and his brother-in-law the dayan R. Uri Shabtai of Salant. Jerusalem, 25th Sivan 1855.
Addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore, with a detailed report of the reception of charity funds, sent to Jerusalem in various ways (primarily through R. Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, author of HaKetav VehaKabbalah, rabbi of Königsberg).
The letter concludes with blessings and prayers for the wellbeing and longevity of Sir Moses Montefiore and his wife Lady Judith Montefiore. With the handwritten signatures of R. "Yeshaya son of R. Yissachar Ber", R. "Shmuel Salant" and R. "Uri Shabtai son of R. Chaim".
This is followed by an additional letter to R. Eliezer HaLevi, Montefiore's secretary, signed by the same three rabbis.
R. Yeshaya Bardaki (d. 1862) was the son-in-law and successor of the disciple of the Gaon of Vilna, R. Yisrael of Shklow, distinguished leader of the Perushim community in Jerusalem.
R. Shmuel Salant (1816-1909), studied in his youth in Salant together with R. Yisrael Salant (founder of the musar movement). After his marriage with the daughter of R. Yosef Zundel Salant, he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1841 to serve as posek and rabbi of the Perushim community of disciples of the Gaon of Vilna in Jerusalem. In his capacity as rabbi of Jerusalem, a position he held for close to seventy years, he founded the educational and charity institutions in the city, established the Beit Din and strengthened the Ashkenazi community. He was renowned for his brilliance and practical approach in halachic rulings and in running all communal matters in Jerusalem and worldwide.
R. Uri Shabtai Salant, second son-in-law of R. Yosef Zundel Salant, was a dayan in the first Beit Din founded by his brother-in-law R. Shmuel Salant in 1841, and a founder of the boys' school in the Hurva of R. Yehuda HeChasid. His signature appears on a document pertaining to the building of the Hurva in 1837, and on the jewelry regulation in 1852.
[1] leaf. 27 cm. Thin, light-bluish stationery. Good condition. Stains. Minor tears. Address and postmarks on verso.

Lengthy letter (3 pages) with the full signature of R. "Yisrael Meir HaKohen, author of Chafetz Chaim and Mishna Berura". Hrodna (Grodno), Elul 1924.
Written by a scribe, with the line of the signature handwritten by the Chafetz Chaim.
The letter was sent to the World Rabbinical Conference taking place at that time in Kraków. The Chafetz Chaim writes that due to his weakness and old age, he is unable to make this long journey to Kraków, "I am unable to come participate in your esteemed conference. I am hereby sending my words via the rabbis, bearers of this letter, regarding one critical matter…". The Chafetz Chaim urges them to devise a plan of action to save the yeshivot, which were in dire straits due to financial crises. He mentions the objective of his stay in Hrodna – to participate in a meeting for saving the yeshivot, and he writes that two meetings on the matter had already taken place: "…the first one in Vilna and now in Hrodna, and it has been decided to impose on whoever has the means, to contribute a dollar semiannually for the support of the yeshivot… This regulation has so far been instituted in the regions of Vilna and Hrodna, but this small amount is not enough to provide for all the needs of the yeshivot… I therefore take the liberty to request that at the conference, it should be resolved to assign a respectable sum of money from the Keren HaTorah fund, for our yeshivot – Torah centers, to rescue this surviving ember, since at the moment their survival is entirely contingent upon miracles…".
The Chafetz Chaim concludes the letter by blessing the participants with a good year: "And all those who have gathered for the honor of G-d and His Torah, should be blessed with a good year, a year of raising the prestige of the Torah and its learners. So is the plea of the one who honors and respects you… who blesses you with a good inscription and sealing, who awaits bountiful Divine mercy – Yisrael Meir HaKohen, author of Chafetz Chaim and Mishna Berura".
The Rabbinical Conference in Kraków for strengthening Judaism was initiated by R. Alter Chaim Levinson of Reisha (Rzeszów; author of Tikun Olam. A disciple of R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin). In this conference, most of the rabbis and rebbes of Poland, Galicia, Austria and other European countries came together for the sake of Heaven, to institute regulations for the strengthening of religious observance in the aftermath of WWI, to bolster the observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, Taharah, and the education of children to Torah and fear of G-d. This venture followed the success of the first world Knessia Gedolah that convened in Vienna in Elul 1923 and was attended by the Chafetz Chaim. It must be noted that the conference in Kraków had the exclusive objective of reinforcing Shabbat observance and religion in general (and did not have any political agenda of organizing the Orthodox communities), therefore it received the support of many rebbes and rabbis who did not endorse Agudath Yisrael (such as the Rebbe of Belz and other Galician and Polish rabbis).
R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin (ca.1838-1933), leader of the Jewish people, was widely known by the name of his first book, the Chafetz Chaim. He founded the Radin yeshiva and authored many halachic and ethical works: Mishna Berura, Shemirat HaLashon, Ahavat Chessed and dozens more. This letter was written in his later years, at the age of about 85. Despite his advanced age, he travelled to Hrodna to take part in this meeting for saving the yeshivot, and from there, sent this letter via his representatives to the large conference in Kraków.
[1] double leaf (3 written pages). 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Folding marks, wear and minor tears.
To the best of our knowledge, this letter was hitherto unknow and never published.

Letter from R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz dean of the Knesset Beit Yitzchak yeshiva in Kamenitz (Kamenets). [Kamenitz], Iyar 1936.
Letter in Yiddish addressed to the Feigin family of Philadelphia, United States. R. Baruch Ber showers them in the letter with blessings and thanks for their generous support of the yeshiva, and mentions that the yeshiva marked the yahrzeit of R. Tzvi son of R. Mordechai.
The letter, which is typewritten for the most part, concludes with six lines of warm, heartfelt blessings, handwritten and signed by the yeshiva dean, R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz: " …I wish to bless you and your wife, the righteous lady, may she live for many long, good years, with all the blessings, success, longevity and good years… in the merit of your support of Torah, may you merit the Redemption and to hear the footsteps of Mashiach, Amen. One who blesses him, Baruch Dov Leibovitz, dean of the Beit Yitzchak yeshiva".
R. Baruch Dov (Ber) Leibowitz (1864-1940), author of Birkat Shmuel, leading Torah disseminator in his times. He was a disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk in the Volozhin yeshiva, and the son-in-law of R. Avraham Yitzchak Zimmerman Rabbi of Hlusk. After his father-in-law went to serve as rabbi of Kremenchuk, he succeeded him in Hlusk and established a yeshiva. After a 13-year tenure, he was asked to head the Knesset Beit Yitzchak yeshiva in Slabodka. During WWI, he wandered with the yeshiva to Minsk, Kremenchuk and Vilna, finally settling in Kamenitz. He authored Birkat Shmuel on Talmudic topics. His writings are classic works of in-depth yeshiva Torah study.
[2] leaves, official stationery. 28.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor marginal tears. Folding lines. Typewritten text slightly faded.