Sender: Rev. Yechiel Michel Handler (הרב יחיאל מיכל הענדלר) of Union City, New Jersey.
Recipient: Mr. H. B. Eisner (מר ח. ב. אייזנר), a prominent Orthodox community pillar and general insurance agent in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Content & Context: Written on יום א’ ואתה תחזה שנת וישועה ורחמים לפ"ק (Sunday, Parshat Yitro, 1935), the letter opens with extensive traditional rabbinic blessings (ברכות רבות.. לכבוד ידידי מנוער וחביב עלי..). Rev. Handler writes to his lifelong friend to discuss personal updates, community affairs, and administrative matters regarding insurance, while expressing a deep desire to visit him in Scranton soon (משתוקק גם אני בכל לבי ונפשי לזכות לבוא שמה מהרה).
Notable Connection: Rev. Yechiel Michel Handler was a prominent Klei Kodesh and religious pioneer in the early immigrant communities of Northern New Jersey, helping to firmly establish Orthodox frameworks in the state. His letters offer a rare glimpse into the interconnected web of community builders across Pennsylvania and New Jersey during the interwar period.
Signature: Fully handwritten by Rev. Handler and explicitly signed at the conclusion with his Hebrew name: יחיאל מיכל האנדלער (Yechiel Michel Handler).
Postal History Interest: The reverse side of the postcard features a green 1-cent Benjamin Jefferson stamp, a crisp postmark from Hoboken, N.J., Jan 21, 1935, and the handwritten address block detailing Eisner’s general insurance office at P.O. Box 242 in Scranton, PA.
