Description
Author: The eminent Lithuanian-born sage and early American rabbinic leader, Rabbi Shmuel Pliskin (רבי שמואל פליסקין, 1884–1975). A prominent alumnus of the famed Raduń Yeshiva and close disciple of the Chofetz Chaim, he served as a primary anchor of the Agudath Israel rabbinate in mid-20th century America.
Content (Handwritten Side): This deeply moving and historically significant draft is written entirely in Rabbi Pliskin’s authentic cursive rabbinic hand. It was composed in a state of grief on the exact day of passing—explicitly dated at the base ח’ חשוון תש"ה (October 26, 1944). Rabbi Pliskin references the monumental Biblical comfort verse from Isaiah: "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a monument and a name (Yad Vashem)…" ("ונתתי להם בביתי ובחומותי יד ושם…") to honor the memory of the holy Rabbi Yisrael Avraham Gevirtzman (רבי ישראל אברהם געווירצמן ז"ל), a revered Chassidic leader and scion of the Dinov/Zidichov dynasties who passed away in New York after surviving the Holocaust. The text layout mimics a traditional community mourning proclamation or a holy epitaph design.
The Reverse Side (Printed Base): To preserve paper during the wartime shortage, Rabbi Pliskin utilized the blank reverse side of an official letterhead belonging to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Kahane (רבי לוי יצחק כהנא), Rabbi of Congregations Tifereth Israel and Ahavath Torah in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Notable Connection: This document provides a rare, immediate glimpse into the collective heartbreak of the American rabbinate during the final year of World War II. It bridges the world of Lithuanian yeshiva scholarship (Rabbi Pliskin) and elite Hungarian Chassidic leadership (Rabbi Gevirtzman) at the absolute defining moment of modern Jewish history.
Condition report:
Status: Good Vintage Condition – Complete Text Block.
Details: The single-page document is complete and stable, displaying original horizontal and vertical fold creases from its historical storage format. The paper shows a natural, soft age-toning typical of wartime stationery. Faint fraying is present along the outer margin, with a tiny, isolated paper chip at the bottom corner that does not affect or touch any part of the text. The ink of the handwriting is bold, dark, and perfectly clear.
