Collection of handwritten letters and documents (including transcription of sermons and memoirs of the current Karlin-Stolin rebbe), documents and receipts from Karlin-Stolin chassidim in Jerusalem and the United States, ca. 1963-1989.
Some of the letters and documents date from the Rebbe’s youth, at the beginning of his tenure as leader of the Karlin-Stolin community.
· Letter requesting guidance from the Rebbe, with a list of agreed-upon guidelines. The letter contains 16 signatories. Jerusalem, 1970. The signatories include: R. "Shimon ben Rachel Leah Schwartz", R. "Shaul Yitzchak ben Feiga Chana Freund", R. "David ben Sheina Chana Shapira", R. "Yoel ben Chaya Slava Bookshpan", R. "Yoel ben Chaya Feiga Bookshpan", R. "Yechiel Tzvi ben Chaya Ekstein", and other well-known figured from the Jerusalem Karlin-Stolin community.
· Interesting memoirs including descriptions of the Rebbe's visit to Eretz Israel. Kislev, 1971. · Memoirs from the addresses of the Rebbe in the "holy court" in Brooklyn. Tishrei, 1973. · Letters written to the parents of the Rebbe requesting advice from their son regarding marriage suggestions. Jerusalem, 1963. (Note that the Rebbe was only eight and half at the time!) · Various interesting correspondence between chassidim in Eretz Israel and the Diaspora. · Receipts for "ma'amadot" money donated to the Rebbe, signed by R. "Shaul Yitzchak Freund". · "Kvittel" notes with various requests written to be given to the Rebbe. · Various documents and forms.
The current Rebbe of Karlin-Stolin, R. Baruch Yaakov Halevi Shochet (born 1955), was appointed rebbe as an infant upon the passing of his grandfather, R. Yochanan Perlow, in 1955. As a child and a young man he lived in his parents' home in the United States, while most of his chassidim lived in Eretz Israel, where they established the flourishing Torah institutions of Karlin-Stolin.
Approximately 75 paper items (printed and handwritten). Size and condition vary.

Letter with New Year wishes, by the Rebbe R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson of Lubavitch-Chabad, to R. Alexander Sender Yudasin of Tel Aviv. Brooklyn, NY, Elul, 1949.
Typewritten letter on the official stationery of the Rayatz, with his own signature, and two words in his handwriting.
The Rebbe Rayatz blesses: "In anticipation of the New Year…G-d should bless all our Jewish brethren in the Holy Land and in the entire Diaspora with long life, peace and rest…Ketiva v'chatima tova for a good sweet year". At the end of the letter, after "He who blesses you", two words are added in the Rebbe's handwriting: "in spiritual and material matters".
Leaf, 21 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding creases.

Letter of protest regarding the management of Chabad institutes after the death of the Rebbe Rayatz, written by his wife, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneerson. Brooklyn, NY, Adar Bet, 1851.
Typewritten letter in Yiddish, signed by Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneerson. Sent to R. Alexander Sender Yudasin of Tel Aviv. Written about two months after the appointment of R. Menachem Mendel as Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbetzin fully consents to "the leadership position bestowed upon my younger son-in-law R. M.M. Schneerson, G-d should grant success to him and to his work…". However, she fights to defend the status of her elder son-in-law as head of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivot in the US, Europe and Eretz Israel and manager of the Chabad Association.
The Rebbetzin writes: "…At the time my husband was alive in this world, he handed over and divided the tasks between both our sons-in-law. He gave the management of the Lubavitch Tomchei Temimim Yeshivot, in the US, Europe and Eretz Israel, as well as the management of Agudat Chabad, to his elder son-in-law, R. Shemarya Gur-Aryeh. It was his holy wish that his elder son-in-law direct these institutions. To my great consternation, a number of irresponsible people, some even with personal interest… with impertinence want to go against my husband's wish… I can no longer bear the 'bloodshed' which they bring upon me and my elder daughter and son-in-law. I apply to you, as a connected party… that you see to it that our people produce a document with their signatures, that they agree with me that now, after the death of my husband, the management of these institutions and also of Kfar Chabad in Eretz Israel must be handed over to my elder son-in-law R. Shemarya Gur-Aryeh, that he serve as president of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivot in the US, Europe and Eretz Israel…".
Further in the letter, she writes: "Of course, in no way is this related to the presidency given to my younger son-in-law, R. M.M. Schneerson, G-d should succeed him and his work, and we are only referring to the three aforementioned institutions. Besides the mentioned document, I also request that our people send a protest to the local committee contesting their provocation, and send me both…".
Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneerson (1882-1971), wife of the Rebbe Rayatz, was the daughter of R. Avraham Schneerson of Chişinău (Kishinev), son of Rebbe Yisrael Noach of Nizhyn, son of the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch. She wed the Rayatz in Elul 1897, and was devoted to and involved in the monumental activities of her husband. After her husband was imprisoned by the communists in 1927, she wisely and courageously steered the procedures which led to his release, at the risk of her own life. After her death, she was eulogized with the following description: "…Her personality contained the traditional pious Chassidic Rebbetzin, hand in hand with an intelligent woman who understands the spirit of changing times…".
The subject of the letter: R. Shemarya Gur-Aryeh (1898-1989), a close disciple of R. Shalom Duber of Lubavitch, who chose him as the fitting match for his granddaughter Chana, daughter of his son the Rayatz, becoming the latter's close assistant and accompanying his father-in-law for 30 years, throughout turbulent times. In 1928, they immigrated together from Russia to Riga, capital of Latvia and continued to Warsaw and Otwock in Poland. In the winter of 1940, he and his family were rescued from occupied Warsaw together with his father-in-law and in Adar 1940 arrived in Brooklyn, all residing together in the famous "770" (Eastern Parkway). From 1939, he headed the Tomchei Temimim-Lubavitch Yeshivot until the end of his life. [With the passing of the leadership from the Rayatz to R. M.M. Schneerson, an attempt was made to dispossess him of this position, however, due to the unrelenting opposition of his mother-in-law, R. Shemaryahu kept his position]. Although he was older than his brother-in-law, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. Shemaryahu fully accepted the Rebbe's authority with complete self-effacement and throughout the years was attached to his brother-in-law with his entire heart and soul. During the "farbrengens" (Chassidic gatherings), he would sit next to the rebbe. The two brothers-in-law would eat Festival meals together with Rebbetzin Nechama Dina until her death in 1971. The halachic and Chassidic discussions between the two brothers-in-law during these festive meals are recorded in the two parts of the book HaMelech B'Mesibo. R. S. Gur-Aryeh was an vigorous and active public figure, especially in all matters related to assistance to Russian Jewry living under Communist rule. His activities are well documented in the hundreds of times he was mentioned in letters written by the Rayatz. In one letter, the Rayatz writes to his son-in-law the Rebbe: "Your brother-in-law, my son-in-law R. S. toils greatly". An echo of his activities on behalf of Russian Jews is preserved in a letter by R. Chaim Ozer, who writes to R. S.Y. Hillman Rabbi of London about "The Lubavitcher Rebbe and his son-in-law R. S. Gur-Aryeh…".
Official stationery. 28 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks. Filing holes.

Letter with birthday blessings, by R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Lubavitch-Chabad, bearing his signature. Brooklyn, Cheshvan 1962.
Letter of birthday good wishes, with the directive to practice "the recent custom of our community members on their birthdays", and the blessing that "the coming year should be successful, materially and spiritually and you should continue in Torah study and fulfilling the mitzvoth from a state of bounty".
Typewritten, with the Rebbe's own signature and two words added in his handwriting.
Aerogram, official letter of the Rebbe. 30 cm. Good condition. Folding marks.

Letter from Rebbe Menachem Mendel Shneersohn of Lubavitch-Chabad, with his signature. Brooklyn, Elul 1955.
Typewritten on the Rebbe's official stationery, with his signature.
The letter was sent to R. Matityahu Yechezkel Gutman, and it concerns the management of the yeshivot: "It is necessary to generate holy functionaries of the most varying kinds, and today this is also part of the yeshivots' duty, to a great extent I agree to his opinion… In our yeshivot we act as much as possible according to his suggestion for quite a few years already". Later in the letter, the Rebbe writes: "Since you do not mention your private matters and of your family, I take it as a sign that all is well". The Rebbe concludes the letter with blessings: "As the new year approaches… I would like to express my blessings to him and all of his, a blessing of being inscribed and signed for a good and sweet new year, in material and spiritual matters".
This letter was not published.
R. Matityahu Yechezkel Gutman served as rabbi of Bohush (Buhuși), Romania and Leova, Bessarabia. From 1948 he served as rabbi and posek in Tel-Aviv. Composed many homiletic books on the Torah, the Festivals and Pirkei Avot, as well as many biographies on great Chassidic leaders. He corresponded extensively with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Some of their correspondence was printed in the Igrot Kodesh series of books.
Aerogram. 14 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Stains.