Large printed leaf, Tzurba MeRabbanan (Young Torah Scholar) certificate for a student of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, signed by seven leading Torah scholars of Poland and Galicia, members of the yeshiva's spiritual committee, following the passing of R. Meir Shapiro. Lublin, 7th Adar 1934.
Printed certificate, with ornamental border in color. Signed by: the "Spiritual President", R. "Moshe son of R. Shalom Yosef", rebbe of Boyan-Krakow; "President" Rebbe Shlomo Eger of Lublin; R. Dov Berish Weidenfeld Rabbi of Tchebin; yeshiva dean, R. Aryeh Tzvi Frumer, rabbi of Kozhiglov; the secretary R. Moshe Chaim Lau Rabbi of Prešov; R. Ze'ev Wolf Nisenbaum of Drohobitch (Drohobych) and R. Shmuel Führer of Krosno.
Following the passing of R. Meir Shapiro, dean of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, in Cheshvan 1933, a spiritual committee was established to lead the yeshiva in his stead. On 7th Adar 1934, the members of the spiritual committee paid a visit to the yeshiva to test the students, and those who excelled were presented with Tzurba MeRabbanan certificates. This committee, which was comprised of the leading Torah scholars of Poland and Galicia, directed the yeshiva until the decimation of Polish Jewry during WWII.
The spiritual committee was headed by R. Moshe'nyu Friedman – Rebbe of Boyan-Krakow, who led the yeshiva with the aim of fostering the passionate study of Torah and outstanding excellence.
R. Moshe Friedman – Rebbe Moshe'nyu of Krakow, author of Daat Moshe (1881-1943; perished in the Holocaust). Outstanding Torah scholar, a leader of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah. He was the son of R. Shalom Yosef of Husiatyn and son-in-law of his uncle R. Menachem Nachum of Boyan.
The yeshiva dean, R. Aryeh Tzvi Frumer, the Gaon of Kozhiglov (Koziegłowy; 1884-1943; perished in the Holocaust), a prominent Polish Torah scholar. He was well versed both in hidden and revealed parts of the Torah. A grandson of Rebbe Dov Berish of Oshpitzin and close disciple of the Avnei Nezer of Sochatchov (Sochaczew). He served as rabbi of Zavritcha (Zawiercie), Kozhiglov and Sosnovtsa (Sosnowiec). He headed the Sochatchov yeshiva, and later succeeded R. Meir Shapiro in 1933 as dean of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. He was very active in disseminating and bolstering the study of the Daf HaYomi, established by R. Meir Shapiro. He authored Eretz Tzvi and Siach HaSadeh.
R. Dov Berish Weidenfeld (1881-1965), known as "The Tchebiner Rav" was the son of R. Yaakov Rabbi of Rimalov (Hrymailiv), author of Kochav MiYaakov, foremost Galician Torah scholar. From 1923, he served as rabbi of Tchebin (Trzebinia), Galicia. Already in his youth, he was renowned as a foremost Torah scholar and halachic authority in his generation, with exceptional erudition in the entire Talmud and halachic literature. During his tenure in Tchebin, he established a prominent yeshiva, which attracted the finest, most astute students in Galicia. After the passing of R. Meir Shapiro, he joined the spiritual committee of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, together with the Gaon of Kozhiglov R. Aryeh Tzvi Frumer and Rebbe Moshe'nyu of Krakow. A Chassid, he was attached to the rebbes of the Belz and Ruzhin dynasties. During the Holocaust, he was exiled to Siberia then Bukhara, reaching Jerusalem in 1946, where he founded the Kochav MiYaakov – Tchebin yeshiva. The Tchebiner Rav was revered by all the leading rabbis of his times, rebbes and yeshiva deans, including R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, the Chazon Ish and R. Yitzchak Zev of Brisk. His teacher Rebbe Aharon of Belz would refer to him the gravest halachic questions. On his first Shavuot in Jerusalem, he went to pray in the Beit Midrash of the Imrei Emet, rebbe of Ger, who declared upon seeing him: "Today we shall honor the Torah itself with the reading of the Ten Commandments".
R. Shlomo Eger – Rebbe of Lublin (1871-1940, Eleh Ezkera, II, pp. 228-231), son of Rebbe Avraham Eger of Lublin. After the passing of his father in 1917, he began serving as rebbe in their Beit Midrash on Lubartowska St. in Lublin. His brother R. Ezriel Meir served as rebbe in Pilow (Puławy), near Lublin. An outstanding Torah scholar, he was also renowned for his great wealth and large library, which was one of the most prominent libraries belonging to Polish rabbis. Of great assistance in the founding of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, he was engaged behind the scenes in the spiritual and material management of the yeshiva. After the passing of R. Meir Shapiro, he established a spiritual committee to lead the yeshiva, headed by the Gaon of Kozhiglov, the Tchebiner Rav and Rebbe Moshe'nyu of Kraków, as well as an administrative committee for the financial management of the yeshiva.
R. Moshe Chaim Lau (1892-1943; perished in the Holocaust). Rabbi of Shotz (Suceava), Prešov and Piotrków Trybunalski. A leader of Agudath Yisrael and Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah. One of his sons who survived the Holocaust was R. Yisrael Meir Lau – chief rabbi of Israel, presently chief rabbi of Tel Aviv.
[1] leaf. 52 cm. Fair condition. Stains, wear and ink fading. Open tears to margins and folds, affecting text (repaired with paper; mounted on paper for preservation).

Letter signed by Rebbe Shaul Yedidia Elazar Taub. Otwock, 1938.
The letter is typewritten and signed by the Rebbe. Addressed to the chassid R. Chanoch Silberberg in Tel Aviv. The letter begins with matchmaking matters (presumably for the rebbe's son, R. Chaim Yitzchak). Further in the letter, the rebbe inquires about the wellbeing of one of his Chassidim, and blesses him: "May G-d send him His aid from His Sanctuary, with a speedy and complete recovery".
On the verso of the postcard, a brief letter handwritten and signed by the son of the rebbe, R. "Chaim Yitzchak Taub".
Rebbe Shaul Yedidia Elazar Taub of Modzitz (1886-1947) was the son of Rebbe Yisrael of Modzitz author of Divrei Yisrael. An outstanding and erudite Torah scholar. Renowned for his great musical talent, he composed over one thousand five hundred melodies, many of which became widespread throughout the Jewish world. He served as rabbi of Raków and Karczew, and in 1929, moved to Otwock where he established a large yeshiva. He escaped the Holocaust to Vilna, and from there to New York. During his stay in Vilna, he succeeded in extracting from the Russian authorities exit permits for the yeshivot which had gathered in Vilna (following his passing, the Chazon Ish mentioned his merit in aiding the rescue of the yeshiva students in Vilna from annihilation). He passed away in Jerusalem on 16th Kislev 1947, and was the last person to be buried on the Mount of Olives until its liberation. His Torah thoughts were published in his books Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha.
Official postcard. Approx. 14.5X10 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Filing holes. Stamps and postmarks.

Aerogram, printed invitation to the wedding of the daughter of the rebbe of Chernobyl, with the groom R. Yisrael Hager, son of Rebbe Moshe Yehoshua of Vizhnitz. On verso: Letter (8 lines) handwritten and signed by the father of the bride, Rebbe Meshulam Zusia Twersky. Bnei Brak, 1963.
The letter was sent to a relative in the United States, Rebbe Shalom Yechezkel Shraga Rubin-Halberstam of Tzieshinov.
Rebbe Meshulam Zusia Twersky of Loiev-Chernobyl (1910-1988), a scion of an illustrious lineage of prominent Tzaddikim: on his father's side, he descended from the Chernobyl dynasty, and from his mother's side, of the Sanz and Belz dynasties. His mother was the daughter of Rebbe Yitzchak Yeshaya Halberstam of Chechiav – son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and great-granddaughter of Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz. In 1934, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, and studied for two years in Jerusalem, in the Merkaz HaRav yeshiva. In 1936, he travelled to Poland to spend the next three years with his grandfather R. Yeshaya of Chechiav. In 1939, he returned to Jerusalem, and married the daughter of the Rebbe of Stretin. Following the Holocaust, he was appointed Rebbe of Chernobyl. He combined in his leadership the style and conduct of Sanz which he absorbed from his illustrious grandfather, and many Sanz-Chechiav Chassidim accepted his authority. In 1959, he moved to Bnei Brak, where he opened the Sanz Beit Midrash. Following the arrival of the Shefa Chaim, Rebbe of Sanz-Klausenburg to Eretz Israel, R. Meshulam Zusia humbly handed over to his leadership the Beit Midrash which he had established. His sons are the current rebbes of Chernobyl, and his prominent son-in-law is R. Yisrael Hager, current Rebbe of Vizhnitz.
Aerogram. Approx. 28.5 cm. Good condition. Creases and folding marks. Postmark.

Large collection of letters and photographs, including letters from rebbes, rabbis and public figures, from the archive of the renowned Chassidut researcher Dr. Yitzchak Alfasi. [Ca. 1940-2000].
The collection includes:
• Letters by Rebbe Baruch Yehoshua Yerachmiel Rabinovich of Munkacs, R. Chaim Sarna Dean of Chevron yeshiva and many others. For a detailed list of letters, see Hebrew description.
• Photographs of rabbis, rebbes and public figures, as well as personal photographs of Dr. Yitzchak Alfasi.
60 letters and more than 30 photographs. Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.

Three leaves from a booklet of an emissary, including a letter handwritten, signed and stamped by R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, chief rabbi of Eretz Israel. [Jerusalem, ca. 1920s-1930s].
Three leaves cut out of the booklet of an emissary of the Torat Emet Yeshiva. On one leaf, a letter of recommendation to support the yeshiva by Rav Kook, who writes: "I appeal… to generously support the holy yeshiva here in the Holy City… the Torat Emet yeshiva, which is reputed to have been founded in holiness by Rebbe Rashab of Lubavitch, and headed by his son Rebbe Rayatz Schneersohn… fortunate are the supporters of the wholesome (Ashrei Tomchei Temimim), they shall be blessed with all goodness forever… Avraham Yitzchak H.K." [HaKohen Kook].
On the other leaves, lists of addresses and phone numbers (presumably written by one of the yeshiva emissaries at a later date).
[3] leaves. 16 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Pen inscriptions in late script.