Shanah Tovah letter from R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch. Brooklyn, New York, Erev Rosh Hashanah 1947.

Typewritten on the Rebbe Rayatz's official stationery, with his full signature – "Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson".

Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky. The Rebbe blesses him and his family with a Ketivah VaChatimah Tovah for a good and sweet year, physically and spiritually, concluding with his signature.

The recipient,
R. Yechezkel Abramsky, author of Chazon Yechezkel (1886-1976), head rabbi of the London Beit Din and a leader of Torah Judaism in Eretz Israel. President of the Council of Yeshivas, a director of the Chinuch Atzma'i system, member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah and a dean of the Slabodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak. In 1911 he served for a brief period as dean of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Lubavitch, and was later appointed Rabbi of Smolyan with the assistance of the Rebbe Rashab.

After the Soviet revolution he served as Rabbi of Slutsk (from 1923), where he joined the Rebbe Rayatz in dealing with public matters, and he was a member of the Committee of Rabbis which supported Torah schools, mikvaot and rabbis in Russia. During this period he was referred to by the code names Yemin Hashem Romemah (the beginning of the verse recited after the Amidah prayer for the name Yechezkel) and Tosefta (for his work Chazon Yechezkel on the Tosefta). At the end of 1930 he was imprisoned by the Soviets for his dedicated activity in support of Judaism; there he became acquainted with R. Refael Cohen.

After leaving Russia he arrived in England in 1932, where he was appointed head of the London Batei Din until his 1951 retirement and immigration to Eretz Israel. Throughout that period he was in close relations and cooperation with the Rebbe Rayatz (and he was active alongside him and R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky of Vilna in the international effort to send food packages for holidays to Jews in Soviet Russia). He was also later involved with the Rebbe Rayatz's son-in-law, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in public affairs. After his immigration to Eretz Israel he would go along with his friend R. Shlomo Yosef Zevin to deliver a lecture in the Chabad Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Lod (see: Melech BeYofyo, Jerusalem 2004, p. 670; based on Hamodia newspaper, Jerusalem, 16th Elul 1951).

[1] leaf, official stationery. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Light stains. Folding marks.