Rabbinische Gutachten über die Beschneidung [Rabbinical opinions on circumcision], by Salomon Abraham Trier. Frankfurt am Main, 1844. Most in German, many parts in Hebrew.
On the front free endpaper is a handwritten self-dedication (combination of German and Hebrew) by the owner Dr. Wormser in which he relates that he received the book in 1845 from his teacher the author R. Zalman Trier [who ordained Dr. Wormser for the rabbinate in 1834]. He writes that his teacher severely rebuked him because he did not write an article on this subject to publicize in this book: "Why did you not respond with 'your eloquent language' to the call of your Torah companion R. Shmuel Bondy of Mainz to be zealous on behalf of G-d['s mitzvoth]? A young man with knowledge such as yours, is forbidden to keep quiet at 'such a time'… to my anguish, I was disappointed! So said the Rebbe…who for over 90 years… and his strength has not waned…".
This was written by R. Shlomo Wormser (1814-1887), son of R. Shmuel Wormser Rabbi of Langen-Schwalbach and grandson of R. Shlomo Zalman Wirmash Rabbi of Fulda. Apparently, as we can glean from this dedication, he too was asked by R. Bondy of Mainz, to send a letter protesting the abolition of circumcision, however, he did not send a letter.
In 1843, in a Frankfurt daily, an article was published by the "Friends of the Reform" in which they called for the complete abolition of the mitzvah of circumcision. A Reform teacher in Frankfurt named Yosef Yahelson (1777-1851) even wrote a propaganda booklet in which he declares that every Jewish institution is entitled to exchange circumcision with a different ritual. "Friends of the Reform" blamed circumcision as a cause for several crib-deaths at that time. The Frankfurt municipality buckled under this attack and conceded to list also uncircumcised children as Jews in the population registrars.
The elderly Rabbi of Franfurt, R. Shlomo Zalman Trier (1758-1847) fought this trend with all his might and submitted several applications to the city council to retreat from its intention, since by Jewish law an uncircumcised boy is not considered Jewish. To prevail upon Jewish and Christian public opinion, R. Zalman Trier together with Frankfurt Torah leaders, R. Yissachar Ber Adler and R. Aharon Fuld, author of Beit Aharon began to amass opinions of Jewish Torah scholars and of Jewish intellectuals regarding the essentiality of circumcision. In this book, R. Shlomo Zalman Trier gathered 28 written opinions and published them in a comprehensive book on the subject.
Writings of famous Torah scholars are included in this compilation: R. Yitzchak Dov HaLevi Würzburg, R. Shimshon Refael Hirsh (at the time he served as Rabbi of Emden), R. Ya'akov Ettlinger, the "Aruch LaNer" of Altona, R. Ya'akov Zvi of Kollnburg, author of Ktav V'Hakabbalah, and many more rabbis alongside non-Orthodox intellectuals such as: Yom Tov Lipman Tzunz of Berlin, Yitzchak Noach Manheimer of Vienna and Shmuel David Luzzatto (Shadal) of Padua.
XXIV, 240 pages, 19.5 cm. Good condition. Contemporary binding.
On the title page: Als manuskript gedruckt [printed as a manuscript]. According to the researcher R. B.S. Hamburger (HaYeshiva HaRama B'Furth, Part 3, p. 521), this book was defined as a manuscript to avoid opening a public controversy on the topic. He contends that the book was printed in a very limited number of copies to be given to those involved in the issue and was never sold at bookstores. Hamburger also wrote that "at present, this book is one of the scarcest [books]", despite the extensive coverage its content received in the papers of those days.

Letter by R. Reuven Grozovsky, head of the Kamenets Yeshiva. Raseiniai (Lithuania), 18th of Iyar [May, 1940].
Official (rare) stationery of the yeshiva while located in the city of Raseiniai, with a photo of the yeshiva head, R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz [who died in the winter of 1940 in Lithuanian exile]. Most of the letter is typewritten, with four handwritten lines added by R. Reuven. In the long interesting letter, R. Reuven relates the state of the yeshiva in its exile to Vilna in independent Lithuania, and from there to Raseiniai. "…The yeshiva continues its past glory, same as in Kamenets… and its spirits have not fallen, even a bit… The yeshiva students study in depth and with comprehension following the path laid by my illustrious teacher and father-in-law, R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz. We continue his tradition to penetrate the words of the Rishonim and Achronim and to comprehend their meanings…". Further in the letter, R. Reuven tells of the dire material circumstances of the yeshiva: "Terrified, we abruptly fled Kamenets and did not have time to take even our most basic possessions… Besides, we do not have the means necessary for maintaining the yeshiva. How great is the mitzvah of assisting these heroes in these trying times… saving these dear souls who are completely devoted to Torah study and have surpassed all limits in their dedication to Torah study".
At the end of the letter, R. Reuven added in his handwriting and with his signature: "You should know that our escape was accompanied by great miracles and our survival here during these turbulent world-shaking events is also miraculous, with the valiant spirit of these Torah students… Reuven Grozovsky, Head of the Knesset Beit Yitzchak Yeshiva of Kamenets, now in Raseiniai".
Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky (1886-1958), son of Rabbi Shimshon Grozovsky Rabbi in Minsk and illustrious son-in-law of Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz, head of the Kamenets Yeshiva. In his youth he was a foremost disciple of the Saba of Slabodka and later developed into an outstanding Torah scholar, prominent leader of Lithuanian and US yeshivas. Assistant to his eminent father-in-law in managing the Kamenets Yeshiva. During the Holocaust, he escaped to the US, headed the Beit Midrash Elyon of the Torah VeDa'at Yeshiva and was one of the heads of Mo'etzet Gedolei HaTorah in the US. Known for his articles which trenchantly oppose Nationalism and Zionism, later printed in the book Ba'ayot HaZman. His profound discourses were printed in the four parts of Chiddushei Rabbi Reuven and in other books featuring his Torah teachings.
Official stationery, approximately 29 cm. Good condition. Wear damages to upper margin and file holes.

Collection of Rabbinical court decisions signed by many rabbis - permission to remarry ("Heter Meah Rabbanim"), given to men whose wives disappeared during the Holocaust and likely perished. Jerusalem, 1946.
Each page contains dozens of handwritten signatures as well as a typewritten description of the testimony given and the court's final ruling [testimonies include horrifying details of selections of women and children in Auschwitz and in Transnistria, Romania]. Some of the documents are incomplete and contain only the final part of the ruling, with the signatures.
The main signatories of each decision were the heads of the respective Batei Din in Jerusalem: R. Zelig Reuven Bengis, R. Pinchas Epstein and R. David Jungreis, heads of the Perushim Beit Din; and R. Yerucham Fishel Bernstein, R. Naftali Zvi Schmerler and R. Yisrael Yitzchak Halevi Reisman, heads of the Chassidic Beit Din.
Among the signatories: R. Meir Chaim Unger, (rabbi of Lackenbach); R. Yosef Adler (rabbi of Torda); R. Mordechai Chaim Slonim (Rebbe of Slonim); R. Yosef Meir Kahana (Rebbe of Spinka); R. Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum (Rebbe of Sassov, who was in Jerusalem at the time with his father-in-law, the Satmar Rebbe); R. Shmuel Halevi Wosner, (at that time a rabbi in Jerusalem); R. Avraham Yitzchak Kahn (later the Rebbe of Toldot Aharon); R. Mordechai Goldman (later the Rebbe of Zvill); R. Shalom Safrin (Rebbe of Komarna); R. Gershon Lapidot; R. Yisrael Yaakov Fisher (later head of the Eida Hacharedit); R. Avraham Aharonovitz; R. Asher Zelig Margolis, and others. For a more detailed list of signatories, see the Hebrew description.
7 leaves. Size and condition vary. Stains and wear. Two of the leaves have dampstains and erasures.