Letter signed by R. Shimon Yehuda HaKohen Shkop, dean of the Grodno yeshiva. Hrodna (Grodno), Tammuz 1925.
Addressed to the philanthropist R. Yerucham Fishel son of R. Avraham Yitzchak Munk. Written by a scribe, with the handwritten signature of R. "Shimon Yehuda HaKohen Shkop". The letter acknowledges and confirms the receipt of money on behalf of the yeshiva - "For our holy yeshiva, which numbers close to two hundred students, who study G-d's Torah with exceptional diligence, and are destined to become the leaders of the Jewish people, replete with Torah and of noble character…". The letter concludes with R. Shimon Shkop's threefold blessing (the priestly blessing, comprising three verses).
R. Shimon Yehuda Shkop (1860-1939) was as disciple of R. Chaim Soloveitchik in the Volozhin yeshiva, who instructed him on intricate and profound methodology of Torah study. At the age of 24, he was appointed dean of the Telshe yeshiva (founded by his uncle R. Eliezer Gordon), where he gave over to the many students his innovative method of logical study - approach adopted by the entire Torah world until this day. One of his foremost disciples from that period was R. Elchanan Wasserman. In 1920, he was called to head the Shaar HaTorah yeshiva in Grodno. His works include: Shaarei Yosher, Maarechet HaKinyanim and Chiddushei R. Shimon Yehuda HaKohen.
[1] leaf, official stationery. Approx. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and stains.

Letter signed by R. Elchanan Bunem Wasserman dean of the Baranovich yeshiva, with the stamp of the yeshiva. [Baranovich, 1930s].
This leaf contains the second half of a typewritten letter (leaf 2 only), with the handwritten signature of R. Elchanan. The letter consists of an appeal on behalf of the yeshiva, addressed to the rabbi of a community. R. Elchanan requests that he generate support for the yeshiva "amongst the members of his community, and especially amongst the members of the prominent Ezrat Torah organization in his town, so that they should come to the aid of our holy yeshiva in its time of great need…". The letter concludes with blessings for those who support Torah: "It is a tree of life… and those who support it are fortunate", closing off with blessings: "His friend, who reveres and respects him, who blesses him with life, peace, and only good forever…".
R. Elchanan Wasserman (1875-1941) was a disciple of R. Shimon Shkop in the Telshe yeshiva and prominent disciple of the Chafetz Chaim. He served as lecturer and dean in the Brisk (Brest) yeshiva and in other places. During WWI, at the behest of the Chafetz Chaim, he established a yeshiva in Smilavichy (Minsk province, today Belarus), and after the war, R. Elchanan founded the Ohel Torah yeshiva in Baranovich. A renowned Torah scholar and a foremost yeshiva dean in Lithuania, he represented the Chafetz Chaim and R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of Agudat Yisrael. He composed many essays on Jewish ideology which were later published in his book Ikveta DeMeshicha, in which he expressed the Torah stance of his teacher the Chafetz Chaim on Zionist nationalism and the spiritual state of the Jewish people. During the Holocaust, he was deported to the Kovno (Kaunas) ghetto, and was later murdered in the Seventh Fort, while studying the laws of Kiddush HaShem. His teachings and lectures were published in the following books: Kovetz Shiurim, Kovetz He'arot, Kovetz Inyanim, Kovetz Igrot HaGaon R. Elchanan Wasserman and others. His approach in learning and his books serve until this day as the basis of intensive yeshiva study in the Torah world.
[1] leaf, official stationery. 28 cm. Good-fair condition. Wear and minor damage to folds.

Three interesting letters from deans of Lithuanian yeshivot, during the 1930s.
• Lengthy letter (4 pages) handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Eizik Sher, dean of the Slabodka yeshiva. Written during his trip to England in the 1930s, addressed to his colleague R. Yisrael Zissel Dvortz of Jerusalem. He mentions events which occurred in Eretz Israel, and the debts of the yeshiva which are cast upon "our friend R. A.G." (R. Avraham Grodzinski),
• Letter signed by R. Avraham Tzvi Grodzinski, dean of the Ramailes yeshiva in Vilna, addressed to R. Reuven Katz - rabbi of Petach Tikva. Recommendation for a student of the Ramailes yeshiva wishing to continue his Torah studies in Eretz Israel. Vilna, Nisan 1937.
• Lengthy letter from R. Yosef Shub (director of the Vaad HaYeshivot in Vilna and confidant of R. Chaim Ozer), addressed to Mr. Ze'ev Fisher-Shein, regarding the activities of the delegation of the Poalei Agudath Israel movement from Eretz Israel (the delegation visited Vilna to encourage the settlement of groups of workers in Eretz Israel, and in preparation for shemittah 1937-1938). Vilna, Nisan 1937.
R. Yitzchak Eizik Sher (1875-1952), outstanding Torah scholar, leading figure of the musar movement. A student of the Halusk, Volozhin, Slutsk and Slabodka yeshivot. Following his marriage to the daughter of R. Natan Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka, he went to study in the Kelm yeshiva for several years. He served as head of the Kovno Kollel, and lecturer in Knesset Yisrael yeshiva in Slabodka. Following the immigration of some of the students to Eretz Israel to establish the yeshiva in Hebron, R. Eizik was appointed dean of the Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania. With the outbreak of WWII, he was residing in Switzerland, and from there he immigrated to Eretz Israel and founded the Slabodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak.
R. Avraham Tzvi Hirsh Grodzinski (ca. 1857-1938), eldest son of R. David Shlomo Rabbi of Iwye, and eldest brother of R. Chaim Ozer. He served for close to fifty years as dean and director of the Ramailes yeshiva in Vilna. In his book Achiezer (part III, section 83), R. Chaim Ozer mentions "my brother R. Avraham Tzvi Hirsh who was the dean of the Ramailes yeshiva in our community from 1890 onwards, and passed away on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev 1938.
R. Yosef Shub (1897-perished in the Holocaust 1941), director of the central office of the Vaad HaYeshivot in Vilna. A confidant of R. Chaim Ozer, and his trusted attendant in managing the matters of the World Agudath Israel and other communal matters. An editor of the Orthodox newspaper Vort, published in Vilna (see: Eleh Ezkerah, I, pp. 247-254). In this interesting letter as well, it is apparent that he is writing on behalf of R. Chaim Ozer and in accordance with his views. R. Yosef writes of the cautious approach in encouraging the settlement movement of Poalei Agudath Israel, while arousing to strengthen Torah observance within the camp.
Three letters, two of them on official stationery. Size and condition vary.

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Moshe Sokolovsky, dean of the "Torat Chessed yeshiva - Brisk D'Lita". Iyar, 1927.
Addressed to R. Yosef Shub of Vilna, director of the Vaad HaYeshivot, regarding funding for students requiring to go away for a vacation or for convalescence. He describes the success of the yeshiva, and the increase in the number of students, as well as the financial difficulties and the lack of space. He also writes of the new mashgiach who had joined the yeshiva staff, "the rabbi of Pinsk", and of his letter to R. Chaim Ozer, in which he requested help in procuring funding for the mashgiach's salary.
R. Moshe Sokolovsky (1868-1931), a leading Torah educator in Lithuania. He was a close disciple of R. Chaim Brisk. In 1896-1931, he served as dean of the Torat Chessed yeshiva in Brisk (Brest; together with R. Simcha Zelig Rieger). He was renowned for his exceptional diligence and absorption in his learning: "When he would go to deliver his class in the yeshiva, all his senses and thoughts were focused on the topic the class concerned, to the point that he often unknowingly bumped into trees, so focused as he was on his Torah studies.. one of the Torah leaders of our times attested that he was able to contemplate one topic for 16 hours" (Gedolei HaDorot, p. 1021). His book Imrei Moshe was received in the yeshiva world with great reverence, and serves until this day as a basic book for scholarly, in-depth study. His renowned disciples include: family members of R. Chaim and R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik Rabbis of Brisk (who valued him for his profound and logical reasoning), R. Moshe Soloveitchik of Switzerland, his colleague R. Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman author of Ayelet HaShachar, R. Aryeh Pomeranchik author of Torat Zera'im and R. Ze'ev Eidelman.
The mashgiach mentioned in the letter is R. Avraham Yaakov Gordon Rabbi of Pinsk, who raised the spiritual standard of the yeshiva since his appointment as its mashgiach in 1925 (see: Yeshurun, 27, p. 831; HaRav MiBrisk, I, pp. 250-252).
[1] leaf, official stationery. 28 cm. Approx. 23 autograph lines. Good condition. Creases and wear. Filing holes affecting text.

Interesting letter handwritten and signed by R. Aharon Kotler. Klestsk, [1930s].
Addressed to one of the associates of R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in Vilna. The letter discusses various actions to be taken regarding communal matters. At the beginning of the letter, R. Aharon proposes that a letter from R. Chaim Ozer be sent to the Agudath HaRabbanim convention in the United States, against the Jewish Federations in the U.S. (who tried to prevent Torah institutions in Europe from receiving funds from the centralized fundraising in the United States): "Please notify R. Chaim Ozer that the Agudath HaRabbanim convention in America will be taking place soon… it is imperative that they receive a protest in his name and in the name of all the yeshivot against the Federations…". Further in the letter, he discusses the Shechita Decree (at that time, R. Chaim Ozer was leading an international battle against antisemitic parties in the Polish parliament, who tried to outlaw shechita): "What is being done now about shechita? The newspapers reported that the law will be proposed in the Senate on the 11th of the month. It is crucial that a delegation of Torah leaders appears immediately before the government, and that is preferable to lobbying. May G-d have mercy on the remnants of His nation speedily. Aharon Kotler".
R. Aharon Kotler (1892-1962), disciple of the Alter of Slabodka, was a prominent, outstanding Torah scholar (while he was still a young student, the Or Same'ach predicted that he would be the "R. Akiva Eger" of the next generation). He was the son-in-law of R. Isser Zalman Meltzer. He served as lecturer and dean of the Slutsk yeshiva, and during WWI, he fled with the yeshiva students to Poland, reestablishing the yeshiva in Kletsk. He was one of the yeshiva deans closely associated with R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and the Chafetz Chaim. A founder of Vaad HaYeshivot and member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in Lithuania, he was very involved in managing communal matters in Poland. During the Holocaust, he escaped to the United States, and established the famous Lakewood yeshiva in New Jersey (a yeshiva which changed the face of the yeshiva world in the United States, by inculcating the passion and absolute devotion to Torah study, in the style of the Lithuanian yeshivot). He was one of the heads of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in the United States, and of the Chinuch HaAtzma'i in Eretz Israel.
Letter on a scrap of paper. Approx. 8X22 cm. 7 autograph lines. Good condition. Filing holes (affecting two letters).