Bidspirit | Archive of Va'ad HaIr HaAshkenazi

Archive of Va'ad HaIr HaAshkenazi Part II: Approximately 150 Rare and Important Historic Documents - At the beginning of the rule of the British Mandate in the Land of Israel, a municipal committee, 'Va'ad HaIr' was established. Its purpose was to represent the general Jewish community to the authorities. Over time, the leaders of the Chareidi-Ashkenazi public realized that their voice was not being heard by the committee administration and they established an alternative institution called Va'ad HaIr HaAshkenazi (eventually the Edah HaChareidit). The new Va'ad represented the interests of the Chareidim to the British authorities. The important archive before us contained the union, the beginning of the division, the split and the establishment of the Va'ad HaIr HaAshkenazi, and from it to the Edah HaChareidit. Dozens of rare and important historic documents (about 150 leaves), including historic discoveries and letters handwritten and signed by the giants of Jerusalem. Details of the documents (the numbering matches the archive's file numbers): 1. Letter from Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin. Sent to Va'ad HaIr HaAshkenazi with a request for support and a budget for the Diskin orphanage, because Va'ad HaTzirim did not stand by its commitment to fund the institution. [1] leaf in his handwriting 2. Blumenthal Orphanage: They used to receive funds from Va'ad HaTzirim. They are drowning in debt. Signed by Rabbi Avraham Yochanan Rosenthal and Baruch Yehudah Blau. Tishrei, 1918. 3. Va'ad HaKlali: Questioned by the Va'ad HaIr as to whether they receive a budget from the Zionist Va'ad HaTzirim. Their response: Negative. ”Va'ad HaKlali does not receive any support from the Va'ad HaTziyoni.” Signed by the secretary DovBer Vishensky. Cheshvan, 1918. 4. Handwritten by R' Reuven Shlomo Jungreis, to the Va'ad HaShechitah: He heard that Va'ad HaShechitah supports the assistants at all of city's batei din, they should also support the Bada”tz assistant. Elul, 1919. 5. Two letters from the Chevrah Kaddisha: 1. Declaration that the conduct of the burial society is as it has always been, without any deviation. Signed by R' Shmuel Shpitzer, R' Nachum Bergman and R' Chaim Yehudah Feldman. Cheshvan, 1919. 2. Agreement to appoint supervisors for the Chevra Kaddisha administration, and summons to an assembly. Signed by R' Shmuel Shpitzer, R' Nachum Bergman, R' Leib Lipschutz, R' Chaim Yehudah Feldman and R' Shmuel Lowey. Kislev, 1919. 6. Bikkur Cholim Hospital: Clarify that they did not receive support from the Va'ad HaTziyoni, despite the Va'ad's declaring that they would support them, and this declaration just resulted in financial loss for them. Signed by: Rabbi Yehoshua Meir Reichman. 7. R' Dov Ber Segal: Request for financial support for his daughter's medical needs. In his hand and with his signature, 1918. 8. R' Moshe Mordechai Schwartz: Claim from the Va'ad HaIr regarding not receiving his salary for the months he worked at the office. In his hand and with his signature, Kislev, 1919. 9. Administrators of the Chayei Olam yeshivah decry their situation: They write that despite Dr. Weitzmann promising them a small sum, even that minuscule amount was not transferred to them since Dr. Weizmann returned to London. Cheshvan, 1918. Signed by:  R' Meir Adler, R' Goldvicht, and R' Yisrael Rabin. 10. Kollel Warsaw: The heads of Kollel Warsaw clarify that they do not receive funds from the Va'ad HaTziyoni. ”In addition, before Passover, when the situation was very bad, we requested 'a loan' from the Va'ad HaTziyoni in order to distribute support to the poor, and which we did not receive.” Tishrei, 1918. The signatories include:  Rabbi Yisrael Ze'ev Mintzberg  [Ra'ava”d of the Chassidim]. 11. Kollel Bucharest proclamation and protest: After the passing of the administrator, R' Mordechai Singer, an impudent person [R' Y. Z.] arose and forcibly took the administration of the kollel, and not only that, he is not succeeding. Handwritten, Sivan 1918. 12. Important telegrams. 13. Knesset Chachmei Yerushalayim society would like to join the elections for Va'ad HaIr: Va'ad Agudat HaKodesh wants to join Va'ad HaIr. Adar, 1920. 14. Miscellaneous. 15.  Kollel Galicia: Clarification that they do not receive even one penny from the Va'ad HaTziyoni. Signed  Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Webber . 16. Protest from Va'ad HaIr: Against a contracting company that forced a Jew to work on Shabbat, and the response from the company denying the charge. Response from Va'ad HaTzirim to Rabbi Jungries regarding receipt of the clothes. 17. Painful letter from activist R' Eliyahu Henig to R' Dovber Epstein: That he has been driven out of any leadership position in the city, and has no means of support. Interesting information. Nissan, 1919. 18. Letter from Va'ad HaIr to Va'ad HaKlali to contribute to the salaries of the rabbinic instructors. Elul 1919. 19. Va'ad HaIr letter to Rabbi Dr. David S.