Meah_Bemeah_Cropped_Master

Judaica and Hasidic Books and Manuscripts

Lot 90:

prev Back to the catalogue next

Extensive Pre-WWII American-Jerusalem Charity Ledger Booklet – Signed by Gabbai Rabbi Reuven Coleman for Va'ad HaKlali (New York / New Jersey Records)

Auction will begin to close in __ days and __ hours

Start price: £60

Buyer's Premium:

Description

An extraordinary, highly comprehensive primary source document capturing the immense financial and organizational network linking United States Jewish donors with the central charitable organizations of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem.


  • Overview & Physical Structure: A complete, multi-page handwritten financial ledger register and transaction booklet arranged in dense columns across sequential sheets. The pages display standard vertical and horizontal folds consistent with an officially bound and carried communal accounting booklet.
  • The Signatory: Signed at the base of the balance summary by the prominent American-Jewish rabbinic trustee and fund manager, Rabbi Reuven Coleman (ר’ ראובן קולמן זצ"ל), who served as the authorized collector and Gabbai for the historic Va’ad HaKlali Prushim (ועד הכללי) of Jerusalem.
  • The Content & Geographic Scope: The ledger lists dozens of individual Jewish donors across the New York metropolitan area, documenting their specific dollar contributions. The text outlines meticulous forwarding networks, prominently listing coordinates such as:
    • L. Max — 52 Green St, Jersey City, N.J.
    • Mr. W. Oppenheim — 793 Westchester Ave, Bronx, N.Y.
  • Collector’s Highlight: Complete, multi-page donor registers tracking the financial lifeblood of Jerusalem’s communities through specific American addresses before WWII are exceptionally rare. This register is a goldmine for historians of American-Jewish immigration, offering a beautifully preserved, completely intact look at the grassroots philanthropic pipelines that sustained the Holy Land.

Condition report:

Status: Very Good Antique Condition.


Physical Dimensions: Each sheet measures approx. 21×30 cm (8.3×11.8 inches) when opened wide.

Details: The multiple thin ledger sheets are structurally complete, sound, and textually intact, displaying original vertical and horizontal folding lines with light handling creases along the margins. The paper shows a soft, light natural cream aging patina. The extensive handwritten Hebrew and English text blocks, the calculated tallies, and the bold signature of Rabbi Reuven Coleman remain beautifully dark, crisp, and 100% legible throughout.