Meah_Bemeah_Cropped_Master

Judaica and Hasidic Books and Manuscripts

Lot 88:

prev Back to the catalogue next

Historic 1945 Post-WWII Rescue Correspondence – The Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv-Jaffa to Agudat HaRabbanim in New York (Signed by Rabbi Yakov Moshe Toledano Circle)

Auction will begin to close in __ days and __ hours

Start price: £100

Buyer's Premium:

Description

An evocative primary historical document from the immediate aftermath of World War II, capturing the frantic, globe-spanning efforts of the Land of Israel’s rabbinate to locate lost relatives and rebuild shattered families.

  • Overview: An official typewritten institutional letter featuring extensive handwritten notations, issued on the formal letterhead of the Chief Rabbinate of Jaffa and Tel Aviv. It is explicitly dated 25 Tishrei 5706 (כ"ה תשרי תש"ו / October 2, 1945), mere weeks after the formal conclusion of the war.
  • The Author & Rabbinic Authority: The letter is officially issued and signed on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (הרבנות הראשית למחוז יפו ותל-אביב). During this historic era, the rabbinate was spearheaded by the illustrious Rabbi Yakov Moshe Toledano (הגאון רבי יעקב משה טולידאנו זצ"ל; 1880–1960), the legendary Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, renowned halachic authority, and future Israeli Minister of Religious Affairs.
  • The Content: Addressed directly to the executive leadership of the Agudat HaRabbanim HaOrthodoxim (אגודת הרבנים האורטודוקסים) in New York, the letter serves as an urgent missing-persons tracer. It details an inquiry regarding a Mr. Jacques Yakov Morris Hurwitz (מר ז’אק יעקב מוריץ הורביץ), seeking to establish contact with his aunt, Janet Kampus (הג’ ז’נט קמפוס).
  • The Hidden Details: The letter contains a beautiful, contemporary pencil inscription adding the targeted search location in Manhattan’s Lower East Side: "325 East 9th Str", alongside a plea for the New York rabbis to dispatch an emissary to investigate the residence and locate the surviving family members.
  • Collector’s Highlight: Original documentation from the peak period of post-Holocaust family reunification (Aglat Krovim) is highly prized by historians and collectors of modern Judaica. Letters bridging the administrative centers of Mandate Tel Aviv and the rabbinic leadership of New York reflect the unified global effort to heal the Jewish people in 1945.

Condition report:

Status: Very Good Antique Condition.


Physical Dimensions: Approx. 21×30 cm (8.3×11.8 inches).

Details: The single official stationery sheet is structurally complete, sound, and clean, displaying standard original horizontal and vertical mailing folds. The paper exhibits a very soft, light natural cream patina with a tiny edge crease along the top left corner, completely clear of any printed or handwritten text boundaries. The typewritten text, the explicit blue handwriting, and the rabbinic authorization signature remain beautifully bold, sharp, and 100% distinct.