Author: Rabbi Yechiel Schneersohn (הרב יחיאל ב"ר משה שלום שניאורסאהן). A unique figure in the Chabad-Lubavitch world, Rabbi Yechiel served as a Rabbi and educator in Dayton, Ohio (דייטון, אוהיו) for a decade before returning to the Holy Land. He was a central figure in the Chassidic community of Tiberias (טבריה) and Safed (צפת).
Notable Connection: The groom, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Schneersohn (הרב שניאור זלמן שניאורסאהן), was the namesake and direct descendant of the founder of Chabad, the Alter Rebbe (אדמו"ר הזקן), author of the Tanya (ספר התניא). The bride, Fruma Friedman (פרומה פרידמאן), was the daughter of the esteemed Rabbi Ben-Zion Friedman (הרב בן-ציון פרידמאן), a leader of the Chabad community in Tiberias. This document connects the "Royal Family" of Lubavitch with the established Chassidic families of the Galilee.
A rare and poignant original invitation to the wedding of Shneur Zalman Schneersohn and Fruma Friedman, held in Tiberias (טבריה) in 1915. This was a period of extreme hardship and famine in the Galilee due to World War I, making the preservation of such a document exceptional.
- The Signatory: Signed by the groom’s father, Rabbi Yechiel Schneersohn, whose signature is quite rare due to his early passing in 1917.
- Historical Context: The invitation reflects the bridge between the Old Yishuv and the American rabbinate. The groom later emigrated to the United States, continuing the family legacy in Los Angeles.
- Condition & Value: A primary source for the study of Chabad genealogy and the history of the Jewish community in Tiberias during the Great War.
