Typewritten leaf - decision signed by seven rabbis of Bnei Brak (R. Landau, R. Wosner, the Yeshuot Moshe of Vizhnitz and others), against the Ministry of Religions' initiative to establish a religious council in the city, thus rescinding the independence of the rabbinate in the city. Bnei Brak, Isru Chag Shavuot 1964.
The leaf records the rabbis' decision to oppose any interference of the religious council, to the point of establishing an autonomous community if necessary.
This decision was the first step in the battle for the Orthodox nature of the city, against repeated attempts, for over a decade, to establish a religious council and thus rescind the independence of the rabbinate.
Typewritten leaf, with the hand signatures of: R. Yaakov Landau, rabbi of Bnei Brak; R. Avraham Shlomo Katz of Riskeva, rabbi of the Yitav Lev community in Bnei Brak; R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, rabbi of Zichron Meir; Rebbe Nachman Kahana of Spinka; R. Yitzchak Shlomo Unger, dean of the Chug Chatam Sofer yeshiva; R. Avraham Tzvi Weiss, rabbi of Neveh Achiezer; R. Moshe Yehoshua Hager, rabbi of Kiryat Vizhnitz, later rebbe of Vizhnitz.
[1] leaf. 27.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks and torn filing holes.

The Orthodox city of Bnei Brak was unique since it's founding for its independent rabbinate. Unlike other cities, Bnei Brak never had a religious council - the rabbis received their salaries directly from the municipality, and all kashrut and religious services in Bnei Brak were funded directly by the municipality, without the involvement of a third, governmental party such as a religious council. In other places, all religious services were under the control and supervision of the religious council, which in those days was under the Ministry of Religions, led by members of the Mizrachi movement.
Bnei Brak was also the only city in Eretz Israel were Satmar Chassidim participated in the municipal elections, with the approval of Rebbe Yoel of Satmar, fierce opponent of any cooperation with the Zionist government, and with the approval of the rabbi of Riskeva, rabbi of the Satmar community in the city. The main reason for this exception was the necessity to maintain the independence of the Bnei Brak rabbinate, and to preserve the power of R. Landau and his colleagues who upheld proper Torah observance.
In the summer of 1964, the Ministry of Religions established a religious council in Bnei Brak. Knowing that the Orthodox community would not passively accept this move, it was done in an underhanded way, on paper only. A notice from the Ministry of Religions was published in the HaTzofeh newspaper, announcing the establishment of the religious council headed by 12 members lead by R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of the city. The notice was published without the knowledge of the new council members, and without a prior notification. This placed them in a difficult position - on the one hand R. Landau and his colleagues did not wish to cooperate with the establishment of a religious council led by the Ministry of Religions, yet on the other, if they would renounce their positions, the Ministry of Religions would appoint other members to the council instead, and they would thus lose their control over the religious services in the city.