The rashei yeshivah in the Land of Israel summon the heads of Zionism and Mizrachi to court regarding the estate of philanthropist R’ Rephael Shlomo Goetz.
Goetz was a son-in-law of the mighty philanthropist Wissotzky. He followed in his father-in-law’s footsteps and maintained all the yeshivahs in Lithuania and in Poland, as well as contributing large sums for the settlement of the Land of Israel. In 1910, he visited Jerusalem and Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky managed to convince him to dedicate a “JNF” for the benefit the best of the city’s yeshivahs, especially Etz Chaim. With his passing, apparently, the Mizrachi movement “received” most of the funds from the estate. This is the background to its summons to the din Torah.
First summons: To Rabbi Meir Berlin, president of Mizrachi.
Signatories: Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky in the name of the Etz Chaim yeshivah, Rabbi Reuven Katz, rosh yeshivah of Petach Tikvah, Rabbi Ya’akov Moshe Charlo”p, rosh yeshivah of Mercaz HaRav, Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna and another rosh yeshivah. Tammuz, 1940.
The second summons is to Ussishkin and Professor Rabbi Simchah Assaf and Professor Hermann Struck. Signatories: Rabbi Katz of Petach Tikvah, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, Rabbi Shalom Nathan Ra’anan, administrator of ‘Mercaz HaRav’ and another six rashei yeshivah.
Incidentally, in Shu”t Chavalim BaNe’imim , it is told that on Erev Pesach of 1918, Rabbi Goetz completed Sha”s for the eighth time!
[2] typewritten letters signed by the rabbis. Various sizes, overall fine condition.