Pair of Edah Chareidit membership certificates for the G-dly Admo”r Rabbi Shlomo Goldman “Rebbe Shlomke” of Zvhil, and his grandson and successor, Rabbi Mordechai of Zvhil, signed by them. Jerusalem, 1932-3.
This certificate constitutes an obligation to pay Edah Chareidit membership dues for two years. The ‘Va’ad HaIr L’Kehillat HaAshkenazim” logo appears at the top of the certificate – this is the former name of the Edah HaChareidit. The certificate’s text is as follows: “I hereby notify you that I am prepared, be”h , bli neder , to give the Edah’s fund the sum of (Rabbi Shlomke paid 50 mil and Rabbi Mordechai 7.5 grush ) each week, month, year … (the member is requested to cross out that which does not apply)” followed by the signatures (respectively) of the Rebbe Rabbi Shlomke and his grandson Rabbi Mordechai.
According to historian Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber, a member of the editorial board of Winner’S Judaica catalog, these certificates attest to a fact that was not known to this day, constituting a historic Chassidic discovery – that the Admo”r Rabbi Shlomke of Zvhil was a member of the ‘Edah HaChareidit, ‘ despite Zvhil Chassidut being considered an “Agudist” Chassidism, and not a satellite ‘Edah’ Chassidut, such as, for example, Dushinsky or Toldot Aharon. Furthermore, there are followers of Rabbi Kook who claim that Rebbi Shlomke leaned towards Rabbi Kook’s camp and not that of the Edah Chareidit – but these documents demonstrate the opposite, that he even paid regular membership fees to the Edah HaChareidit.
The reason that Rabbi Gedaliah Moshe of Zvhil’s membership certificate is lacking is that during those years Rabbi Gedaliah Moshe was still in Communist Russia; he only succeeded in ascending to the Land of Israel in 1937.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the Admo”r Rabbi Shlomo Goldman of Zvhil and of the Admo”r Rabbi Mordechai Goldman .
[2] membership certificates. 15×9 cm. Printed on high-quality cream-colored bristol board. The details are filled in by hand, and the Admo”rs’ signatures appear in the margins.
Very fine condition.