Collection of letters and documents, from the archive of R. Moshe Ostrovsky (HaMeiri), who served as rabbi of the Ekron settlement (Mazkeret Batya) in 1912-1919.
The collection documents the state of the moshava at the end of the Ottoman rule in Eretz Israel, and includes: letters of ordination; letters of rabbinic appointment and other documents signed by the inhabitants of Ekron; certificates and documents recording the efforts of the Ekron residents to become members of the Agudath Israel and Mizrachi movements; letters, documents and various certificates.
The collection includes:
• Certificate of ordination for a shochet, with letters handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Berlin Rabbi of Moscow and Jerusalem; R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook Rabbi of Jaffa; the Jerusalem Beit Din: R. Moshe Nachum Wallenstein, R. Leib [Hershler] and R. Tzvi Pesach Frank; the heads of the shochetim in Jerusalem: R. Chaim Ze'ev Aryeh [Gottlieb?], R. Yosef Binyamin Shimonovitz and R. Yisrael Rabin. Jerusalem and Jaffa, 1911-1912.
• Certificate of rabbinic ordination, by R. Aryeh Leib Raschkes. Jerusalem, [Elul 1910]. • Certificate of rabbinic ordination, by R. Yonah Romm of Birzh. Jerusalem, Elul 1910. • Letter from R. Yosef Eliyahu Vinograd, dean of the Torat Chaim yeshiva. Jerusalem, Elul 1912. • Confirmation of R. Ostrovsky's position as rabbi of the Ekron settlement, from the Chacham Bashi of Jaffa, R. Ben Tzion Meir Chai Uziel. Jaffa, Elul 1915. • Two letters from R. Yisrael Abba Citron Rabbi of Petach Tikva. Jaffa, 1918; Petach Tikva, 1918-1919. • Several letters from R. Ostrovsky (some addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook Rabbi of Jaffa), letters from rabbis and public figures, and various documents.
R. Moshe HaMeiri-Ostrovsky (1886-1947), a rabbi and leader of the Yishuv in Eretz Israel. He served as rabbi of the Mazkeret Batya (Ekron) settlement in 1912-1919, later moving to Petach Tikva. He was one of the leaders of the Mizrachi movement, and a founder of the chief rabbinate in Eretz Israel. He helped establish the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem. See also following item.
It must be noted that in some of the certificates and stamps in the present collection, his name appears as "Moshe Broder", using his father-in-law's surname.
31 items: letters, notebooks and various documents. Size and condition vary. Good condition.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Ledger of an emissary of the Shaar HaShamayim kabbalist yeshiva and its branches – the "Grand Rabbinical College" and the Talmud Torah of the Sephardi community. Jerusalem, Tevet-Shevat 1928-1929.
Decorative title page, in black, red, silver and gold. The ledger opens with a letter from the management of the yeshiva – a call for financial support (square script, with amendments in cursive script), with the handwritten signatures of the yeshiva deans: R. Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach and R. Shimon Tzvi Horowitz. This is followed by a short letter signed and stamped by R. Yaakov Meir the Rishon LeZion (the letter and signature of R. Yaakov Meir seem to have been placed by stamp, only the date written by hand), with another two signatures and two stamps from Tangier and Marseille.
On p. [6a], a letter from the Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, written by a scribe in square script, with a signature-stamp of R. Kook (in Rashi script and English) and his official stamp.
This ledger was prepared for the emissary R. Levi Suissa, who traveled to cities in North Africa, Spain, France and Belgium.
[6] written leaves (7 written pages and many blank pages). 19.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. A few tears. Minor worming. Original binding.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Kevod HaLevanon, Torah supplement to the HaLevanon newspaper – collection of issues from the newspaper's first year. [Jerusalem, 1863].
The collection includes the Kevod HaLevanon supplements to most of the issues from 1863 (issues 2-12. The supplement to issue 2 is lacking one page, and the supplement to issue 4 is lacking 3 pages; a detailed list will be sent upon request).
Kevod HaLevanon served as an important forum for essays, discussions and correspondence on halachah and current events, including famous polemics. The writers featured in the present issues include: the Netziv of Volozhin, R. Shmuel Salant, R. Yitzchak Prague, R. Yehosef Schwartz, R. Meir Auerbach, and others.
The supplement to issue 10 contains a special polemic article against the printer R. Yisrael Bak, who had claimed that the publishers were violating his exclusive rights by establishing a printing press in Jerusalem.
[20] leaves. Approx. 31-33 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Marginal tears. Some detached leaves.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Large collection of documents, printed receipts, promissory notes, letters and notes pertaining to the charity and welfare institutions in Safed. Ca. 1845-1936; most documents are from ca. 1870s-1920s.
The documents are signed by the community trustees and leaders in Safed: the dayan and posek R. Refael Zilberman; the heads of the Kosov-Vizhnitz Kollel – R. Moshe Charag [Zeiger] and R. Itamar of Seret; R. Yaakov son of R. Mordechai HaLevi; R. Kehat son of Efraim Fishel; R. David Yudel Auerbach (grandfather of R. Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach of Jerusalem); R. Zelig Adlerstein; R. David Segal; R. Yaakov of Rozhniativ; R. Baruch Kahana; R. Yosef Tzvi Geiger (renowned Safed painter and communal worker); and others.
The collection includes dozens of notes signed by the gabbaim, instructing the treasurer about payments to be made from the fund, for various communal and charity causes.
Also found amongst the items is a Prozbul contract from Elul 1875, signed by R. Shlomo of Tlust, R. Yaakov Yechiel [Schmerler?] and R. Moshe Charag.
96 paper items. Most bear various signatures. Size and condition vary.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.