Letter handwritten, stamped and signed by R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski. Vilna, Wednesday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan [October] 1938.

Recommendation for financial aid for Shalom Stolnik, a student of the Ramailes yeshiva in Vilna, "who has a certificate to travel to the Holy Land, but does not have the travel expenses". R. Chaim asks for "philanthropists who love the Torah to support him generously for his travel, and may the G-d of recompense reward their work in full…".

R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (1863-1940) was a foremost rabbi of his generation and leader of European Jewry. He was the son of R. David Shlomo Grodzinski Rabbi of Iwye. He was renowned from his childhood for his exceptional brilliance. He entered the Volozhin yeshiva at the young age of 11, and became a disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk. At the age of 24, he was appointed rabbi and posek of Vilna, succeeding his father-in-law R. Eliyahu Eliezer Grodnansky, a posek in Vilna (son-in-law of R. Yisrael Salanter). He assumed the yoke of public leadership from a young age, and his opinion was conclusive on all public issues which arose throughout the Jewish world for close to fifty years.

In addition to his spiritual leadership and halachic responsa, R. Chaim Ozer worked indefatigably to improve the conditions of yeshivas and rabbis in Lithuania and surrounding regions. He did much to support the Ramailes yeshiva in Vilna and its students, including having a new building established for it.

[1] leaf. Official stationery. 21.5x14 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Wear and tears to folds. Mounted on back of acid tape, with pasting stains.