At the beginning of the rule of the British Mandate in the Land of Israel, a municipal committee, ‘Va’ad HaIr’ was established. Its purpose was to represent the general Jewish community to the authorities. Over time, the leaders of the Chareidi-Ashkenazi public realized that their voice was not being heard by the committee administration and they established an alternative institution called Va’ad HaIr HaAshkenazi (eventually the Edah HaChareidit). The new Va’ad represented the interests of the Chareidim to the British authorities. The important archive before us contained the union, the beginning of the division, the split and the establishment of the Va’ad HaIr HaAshkenazi, and from it to the Edah HaChareidit. Dozens of rare and important historic documents (about 150 leaves), including historic discoveries and letters handwritten and signed by the giants of Jerusalem.
Details of the documents (the numbering matches the archive’s file numbers):
1. Letter from Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin.
Sent to Va’ad HaIr HaAshkenazi with a request for support and a budget for the Diskin orphanage, because Va’ad HaTzirim did not stand by its commitment to fund the institution.
[1] leaf in his handwriting
2. Blumenthal Orphanage:
They used to receive funds from Va’ad HaTzirim. They are drowning in debt. Signed by Rabbi Avraham Yochanan Rosenthal and Baruch Yehudah Blau. Tishrei, 1918.
3. Va’ad HaKlali:
Questioned by the Va’ad HaIr as to whether they receive a budget from the Zionist Va’ad HaTzirim. Their response: Negative. “Va’ad HaKlali does not receive any support from the Va’ad HaTziyoni.” Signed by the secretary DovBer Vishensky. Cheshvan, 1918.
4. Handwritten by R’ Reuven Shlomo Jungreis, to the Va’ad HaShechitah:
He heard that Va’ad HaShechitah supports the assistants at all of city’s batei din, they should also support the Bada”tz assistant. Elul, 1919.
5. Two letters from the Chevrah Kaddisha:
1. Declaration that the conduct of the burial society is as it has always been, without any deviation. Signed by R’ Shmuel Shpitzer, R’ Nachum Bergman and R’ Chaim Yehudah Feldman. Cheshvan, 1919.
2. Agreement to appoint supervisors for the Chevra Kaddisha administration, and summons to an assembly. Signed by R’ Shmuel Shpitzer, R’ Nachum Bergman, R’ Leib Lipschutz, R’ Chaim Yehudah Feldman and R’ Shmuel Lowey. Kislev, 1919.
6. Bikkur Cholim Hospital:
Clarify that they did not receive support from the Va’ad HaTziyoni, despite the Va’ad’s declaring that they would support them, and this declaration just resulted in financial loss for them. Signed by: Rabbi Yehoshua Meir Reichman.
7. R’ Dov Ber Segal:
Request for financial support for his daughter’s medical needs. In his hand and with his signature, 1918.
8. R’ Moshe Mordechai Schwartz:
Claim from the Va’ad HaIr regarding not receiving his salary for the months he worked at the office. In his hand and with his signature, Kislev, 1919.
9. Administrators of the Chayei Olam yeshivah decry their situation:
They write that despite Dr. Weitzmann promising them a small sum, even that minuscule amount was not transferred to them since Dr. Weizmann returned to London. Cheshvan, 1918. Signed by:
R’ Meir Adler, R’ Goldvicht, and R’ Yisrael Rabin.
10. Kollel Warsaw:
The heads of Kollel Warsaw clarify that they do not receive funds from the Va’ad HaTziyoni. “In addition, before Passover, when the situation was very bad, we requested ‘a loan’ from the Va’ad HaTziyoni in order to distribute support to the poor, and which we did not receive.” Tishrei, 1918. The signatories include:
Rabbi Yisrael Ze’ev Mintzberg [Ra’ava”d of the Chassidim].
11. Kollel Bucharest proclamation and protest:
After the passing of the administrator, R’ Mordechai Singer, an impudent person [R’ Y. Z.] arose and forcibly took the administration of the kollel, and not only that, he is not succeeding. Handwritten, Sivan 1918.
12. Important telegrams.
13. Knesset Chachmei Yerushalayim society would like to join the elections for Va’ad HaIr:
Va’ad Agudat HaKodesh wants to join Va’ad HaIr. Adar, 1920.
14. Miscellaneous.
15. Kollel Galicia:
Clarification that they do not receive even one penny from the Va’ad HaTziyoni. Signed
Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Webber .
16. Protest from Va’ad HaIr:
Against a contracting company that forced a Jew to work on Shabbat, and the response from the company denying the charge. Response from Va’ad HaTzirim to Rabbi Jungries regarding receipt of the clothes.
17. Painful letter from activist R’ Eliyahu Henig to R’ Dovber Epstein:
That he has been driven out of any leadership position in the city, and has no means of support. Interesting information. Nissan, 1919.
18. Letter from Va’ad HaIr to Va’ad HaKlali to contribute to the salaries of the rabbinic instructors. Elul 1919.
19. Va’ad HaIr letter to Rabbi Dr. David S. Paul:
Sharp criticism of the secular influence on behalf of the Va’ad HaTzirim. Paul was one of the major activists in England. After WWI, he was selected for the Zionist mission to the Land of Israel – Va’ad HaTzirim’ for rehabilitation of the Hebrew settlement and to lay the foundations of the ‘National Home.’
Letter full of content about the gap between the two camps.
20. Appeal to the League of Nations or the UN Institutions:
To act against the murder of Jews in Poland and Lithuania. Sivan, 1919. Background: As the noise of war in Poland subsided, a wave of antisemitism started to spread across the country, as a result of which hundreds of Jews were murdered and thousands were wounded and looted. The most well-known event was the pogrom in Lvov, which took place after the Polish army conquered Lvov. 72 Jews were killed in the pogrom by the Polish masses that also included Polish soldiers. There was also the massacre in Pinsk, when 35 Jews were taken captive, robbed and shot. Following these troubles, the US sent a delegation led by Henry Morgenthau to check the roots of the rumours and investigate reports about the horrific abuse of the Jews in Poland. Their famous report, “The Morgenthau Report, ” was presented towards the end of 1919.
21. Letter to the Va’ad HaKlali:
Protest that they are undermining the Va’ad HaIr’s hegemony.
22. Letter to activist Rabbi Chaim Meir Reichman:
The letter is addressed to ‘הרה”ג מוהרש”י.’ Confidential.
23. Two letters handwritten by Rabbi Ya’akov Moshe Charlo”p.
1. To the rabbis and administrators of Degel Yerushalayim regarding founding a general society for all religious people.
Extremely interesting.
2. To Rabbi Kook to join together with Va’ad HaIr.
Historic letter!
24. Letter full of interest about all the problems in the election between Va’ad HaIr and Va’ad HaTzirim. Adar 1920.
25. Letter from Va’ad HaIr to Ronald Storrs, British governor of Jerusalem, upon his return to the Land of Israel:
“Together with our expression of joy upon his being saved from disaster on the way. Welcome back to the Holy Land! Storrs was governor from 1917-1920. In the Jewish-Arab conflict he generally sided with the Arabs and not with the Jews.
26. Telegram to the Offices of Agudat Yisrael in London:
Since they are planning to be interviewed by various media about the Agudat Yisrael movement in the Land of Israel, they are to be cautious and careful, focused on the goal, and not, Heaven forbid, mix our movement up with the Va’ad HaLeumi, and not with the chief rabbinate.
27. Letter from Eliezer Hoffein, CEO of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, to Va’ad HaIr HaAshkenazi:
With respect to specific public business.
Hoffein was one of the major activists in the Zionist movement.
28. Selection of representatives of the general chevra kaddisha for the Va’ad HaIr elections.
29. Kollel Chaba”d:
Clarification that they do not receive any support from the Va’ad HaTziyoni.
30. Kollel Galicia:
One-time support for members of the new Bada”tz. Elul 1919.
31. Letter from the Histadrut HaRefu’it HaTziyonit to the administrators of Va’ad HaIr:
Rabbi Lichtenstein made a ritual circumcision for his son in the hospital, and he brought Rabbi Sonnenfeld to circumcise the baby. The issue is that the hospital’s regulation is that only their permanent mohel can do circumcisions there, so they rebuffed Rabbi Sonnenfeld. The writer clarifies: The hospital has no objection to bringing another mohel, it’s just that the person making the ritual circumcision must notify the hospital in advance, and (this father) did not do so. As such, they express their sorrow for the unpleasantness this caused “and Rabbi Sonnenfeld was not treated with the honor that was his due. I can say only this: There were certainly no political intentions here. And there was certainly no intention to insult …” Signed:
Henrietta Szold .
32. Letter to Rabbi [Ya’akov Yitzchak] Teitelbaum, one of the leading activists for Chareidi Jewry:
In the letter: This is not the time to split, but to strengthen the union between all the branches of religious (organizations).
33. Va’ad HaTzirim letter to the Va’ad HaAshkenazi:
Discontinuation of support for Va’ad HaIr HaAshkenazi rabbis: “Because they receive a salary from you.” Yet we vehemently oppose your statement that we ‘use the support funds as a means to control the spirit of the Chareidim and turn them against their religion.” These bitter words do not bring any purpose…”
34. Call to American Chareidi Jewry:
To found separate ‘Orthodox’ communities.
Historic letter.
35. Attempt by the Va’ad HaIr to take control of the Va’ad HaShechitah HaMeuchad.
36. Appeal to Rabbi Akiva Sofer, Av Beit Din of Pressburg:
To ascend to Jerusalem and be part of the war against the freethinkers and join the Edah HaChareidit.
37. Appeal to the Orthodox Bureau in Budapest:
To join the ranks of the Edah HaChareidit.
Letter with much content and internal information.
38. Letter of condolence and encouragement to Rabbi Akiva Glazner, Av Beit Din of Klausenberg:
Regarding the bad events that befell his city. Condolence letter with encouragement for Rabbi Binyamin Fuchs, Av Beit Din of Arad, about the events that befell his city.
39. Va’ad HaIr letter to the administrators of Kollel Galicia:
Regarding their many activities against Zionist institutions and the Va’ad HaLeumi.
40. Letter to Rabbi Chaim Ya’akov Silberberg of Warsaw:
The addressee is attempting to bring peace to the administration of Kollel Warsaw. Rabbi Chaim Ya’akov was one of the geonim of Warsaw, and was connected to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld.
Unknown historic content.
41. Va’ad HaIr to the Rishon LeTziyon Rabbi Ya’akov Meir:
Complaint about the chief rabbinate’s decision regarding distribution of Mrs. Blilius’s estate, in that the Edah HaChareidit’s people were not included in the distribution.
42. Letter to the editor of Agudat Yisrael’s Yiddische Press newspaper in Vienna:
Va’ad HaIr appeals the World Agudat Yisrael movement to take the approach of the moderates in Jerusalem. The letter is full of extensive content of all the internal disputes of Chareidi Jewry! Especially with respect to the response to the extremists opposing the Imrei Emet for his meeting with Rabbi Kook.
43. Letter of the Va’ad HaIr to Rabbi Shimon Merkel, one of the leading activists in Kovno:
With a request to find a rabbi in their country who is willing to relocate to Jerusalem and be appointed a member of the beit din, with a list of the conditions that he must meet.
Important content.
44. Letter to Dr. Pinchas Cohen, chairman of Agudat Yisrael’s Va’ad HaPoel in Vienna:
In their letter, they describe the internal disputes at length.
45. Lengthy letter to Rabbi Chaim Ya’akov Silberberg of Warsaw:
With a request to locate a rabbi that will come and serve in the Edah HaChareidit, and will fit the Edah’s regulations.
Important content.
46. Va’ad HaIr letter to the managers of the flour mills in Haifah:
It would be beneficial to set aside some of their matzahs as charity for the Edah’s poor.
47: Proclamation on behalf of the positive aspect of the Edah HaChareidit.
With the development of the history between the two camps.
Unknown.
48. Va’ad HaIr letter to the administration of the Bikkur Cholim hospital:
Criticism for leaning towards the side of the moderates.
49. Letter to the high commissioner:
Harsh criticism for lack of recognition of the Va’ad HaIr as a separate religious group. Letter full of political content. With the commissioner’s response, translated into Hebrew: ‘The government can only recognize one Jewish community in each location, but each person who does not want to be a member of this community retains the right to declare in writing that he is not a member of said community. This response is the foundation for the declaration of departure from the Va’ad HaLeumi.
Historic document.
50. Historic document – Unknown work :
In Nissan, 1926, all the rabbis assembled in Jerusalem, from the extreme to the moderate, including the Sephardim, in order to join under one umbrella all those who oppose “free” behaviors.
Approximately forty signatures from city rabbis.
51. Important historic document:
Greetings from Va’ad HaIr to the new minister of colonies [William Ormsby-Gore] who was just elected to the position of the British minister of colonies. (He was elected in 1922 and served until 1929). Orbmsby-Gore was an admirer of the Zionist movement and one of those who composed the Balfour Declaration. In their letter, the members of Va’ad HaIr point out the miracle of his rise to power and along the entire length of the letter (which covers 4 folio pages), they clarify to him the difference between the two Jewish communities in Jerusalem, one that is loyal to the Torah and the Jewish religion, and the other, with a nationalistic perspective.
52. Letter to rabbis and activists of Agudat Yisrael’s Va’ad HaPoel HaOlami in Frankfurt.
Harsh criticism of their reservations about the Edah HaChareidit, and their tendency towards the moderate viewpoint.
Important content.
53. Additional letter of criticism from Agudat Yisrael’s Va’adah HaEretzYisraelit in Frankfurt.
54. Beit Chinuch L’Banot:
Very interesting content about founding several educational institutions with the Chareidi framework. 1918.
55. Kollel Chaba”d:
Clarification that they do not receive a budget from the Va’ad HaTzirim. And even worse, following the movement’s Zionist activities, donations to the kollel have been reduced. Signed:
R’ Moshe Orenstein, R’ Yisrael Shimon Shein and R’ Lipman Dov Baieler. Tammuz, 1919.
56. Letters to R’ Pinchas Epstein and R’ David Jungreis:
With the passing of Rabbi M. L. Rubin, they will replace him.
57. Letter to the League of Nations:
With respect to the application of Edah Chareidit regulations, 1927.
58. To the editor of the Davar newspaper:
Protesting the slander of Chareidi Jewry, 1928.
59. Extremely sharp letter to Va’ad HaLeumi with respect to the ‘Kotel Trial.’
60. Letter of rebuke to the Bikkur Cholim hospital:
To not turn away from the ‘proper perspective, ‘ and to not allow foreign influences into the institution.
Additional letter: Condolences upon the passing of R’ Shmuel Berenbaum of Amsterdam.
61. Letter from Va’ad HaIr to advocate Horace Shmuel:
Who agreed to represent the Edah’s claim against the rabbinate in the determination of the Belilius affair, and another claim against the
Davar newspaper that defames and slanders the institutions of the Edah HaChareidit and Agudat Yisrael. Horace was a lawyer and general counsel for British Jewry and was very active in the Land of Israel.
62. Letter to the Rishon LeTziyon Rabbi Ya’akov Meir:
Complex question about a get.
Additional letter: Appreciation for the quick response.
63. Letter of condolence to philanthropist Avraham Hershkowitz of New York upon his wife’s passing.
64. Historic document about the first political murder in the Land of Israel:
List of items left by Adv. Ya’akov Dahan at the Sha’arei Tzedek hospital after his murder.
Extremely interesting list.
65. Thank-you letter to the League of Nations for their declaration and recognition of religious freedom in the Land of Israel.
66. Letter to the ‘mayor’ of Jerusalem:
Request for tax exemption for the Bada”tz offices.
67. Miscellaneous.
68. Response of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld:
To Rabbi Ya’akov Avraham Sithon of Buenos Aires with respect to Hebrew language studies at their Talmudei Torah.
69. Letter on the topic of internal disputes among the kollels: Vizhnitz and Kossov, and also Galicia.
70. Letter from R’ Reuven Shlomo Jungreis to R’ Chaim Yisrael Eis:
Regarding the addressee’s anger at him for harshly criticizing the Agudat Yisrael movement.
Rabbi Jungreis’s response: “Heaven forbid, Agudat Yisrael is dear to our hearts, but also the Edah HaChareidit, enough said.”
71. Deliberation of the Edah HaChareidit members:
Whether to include Rabbi Ya’akov Meir Biderman as a member of the Bada”tz!
72. Letter from the Edah HaChareidit to the Chareidi community in Basel:
They are to support Agudat Yisrael’s educational institutions that are groaning under a harsh financial burden.
73. Letter to Va’ad HaIr HaTziyoni regarding an exemption from the matzah tax and more.
74. Letter to Dr. Pinchas Cohen:
Efforts for R’ Moshe Blau’s trip to the Knessiah Gedolah.
75. Draft of a letter from Rabbi Sonnenfeld to Rabbi Yisrael Nissan Cooperstock.
76. Letter to Rabbi Akiva Sofer, Av Beit Din of Pressburg:
Since he will be participating in Agudat Yisrael’s conference in Berlin, he should reinforce the Yerushalmi side!
77. As above, to Rabbi Aharon Katz, Av Beit Din of Nitra.
78. As above, to the heads of the Orthodox Bureau in Budapest.
79. Miscellaneous.
80. Letter to the high commissioner:
Protesting the lack of invitation to the heads of the Edah HaChareidit to ‘today’s official celebration.’ 18 Elul, 1922.
81. Declaration of the Edah Chareidit in honor of the Knessiah HaGedolah abroad:
Request of the Chareidi movements in the Land of Israel. 10-page document covering all the religious problems in the Land.
Historic document!
82. Sharp criticism against the charity institution in New York that discriminates against the Chareidim. 1927.
83. Letter to several Polish rabbis:
With respect to the disagreements and disputes in Kollel Polin.
84. Historic document – Kollel Polin:
After years of internal disputes in Kollel Polin’s administration, the two sides got together in the presence of Rabbi Sonnenfeld, and reached a compromise. The compromise document was written on the kollel
