Archive documenting tombstone wordings from Iasi's old cemetery, spanning a period of approximately 200 years, 1665-1864.
The cemetery no longer exists; it was demolished in the 1870 and completely destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century. The notes with the wordings and dates on the tombstones were written by a member of the community who wished to document the cemetery before its destruction. The notes contain the wordings in Hebrew, in Romanian translation.
There are notes to which older notes are attached, from which the information was copied. For Rabbis with a tent over their graves, the writer noted in parentheses "(a shtibel)".
These notes document the Rabbis and Rebbes of Iasi and environs, their families, and families of the fathers of chasidut who lived in those areas.
The names mentioned include:
1. Rabbi Yoske of Woloshisk, Rabbi of Iasi, d. 1807. (Encyclopedia of Chasidut, B, pages 148-149) was the son of Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Horowitz of Woloshisk, disciple of the Maggid of Mezrich, who made aliya to Israel – see item 120 – Taharat Hakodesh.
2. The modest… Batsheva, daughter of Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, Rabbi of Apta and Iasi… d. 1811. Died before her father, who succeeded Rabbi Yoske in the Iasi Rabbinate. This daughter was not mentioned in the Encyclopedia of Chasidut, A, page 87.
3. Rabbi Dov Berish son of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Botshash. Served as Rabbi for forty years. Son-in-law of the Neta Sha'ashu'im – see item 100 and brother-in-law of Rebbe Avraham of Botshash.
4. Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Rokeach, ben Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev, d. 1858. He was a descendant of the Ba'al HaRokeach, disciple of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhyn, known as a miracle worker. There was a large tent over his grave. See Toldot Ma'aseh Rokeach by Aharon Hoizman. The Rokeach and Ludmir families are descended from him.
5. Rabbi Yosef Landa, Rabbi of Iasi, d.1853. Author of Bircat Yosef, disciple of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhyn and of Rabbi Yitzchak of Berdichev. Grandson of Rabbi Mendel MiBe'er, who was in turn a disciple of the Ba'al Shem Tov. See Toldot Yosef, Bnei Brak 1997.
These are just a few of many listings of Rabbis, their families, grandsons of Rebbes (the Ba'al Shem Tov, Rabbi Ze'e of Zhitomir – author of Ohr HaMeir, Rabi Moshe of Pshevarsk), cantors, doctors and midwives, people killed al Kiddush Hashem, and more.
241 leaves [mostly 12x17 cm]. Good condition. Numbered from 19-610, with skipped numbers. The major part are from 1800-1850.
Rare historic documentation of an early, central Jewish community. Also valuable as family documentation of the fathers of chasidut.

Collection of notes and letters, novellae and stories from Rabbi Aharon of Belz. Most came from the editorial board of the book "The Holy Rabbi of Belz", published in 1967. (Some of the things are from The Admor Shalita from his youth).
"The Holy Rabbi of Belz – The Life of Rabbi Rabbi Aharon of Belz", published by Rabbi Bezalel Landau and Rabbi Natan Ortner. Introduction by Rabbi Israel Klapholtz. The publication of this book marked the first extensive gathering of material about the holy Rabbi Aharon of Belz.
In this collection, there is correspondence between editorial board members. Letters from Chasidic elders about various facts and novelties. Letters and notes containing Torah thoughts, by Rabbi Shalom Foigel, the Rabbi's assistant. Notebooks of Torah thoughts, the first publication of printed Torah thoughts by Rabbi Aharon in the Otzrot Yerushalaim collection, which was published the day after his passing, and more.
Interesting and varied collection, size and condition vary.

A printed letter of thanks for a donation to the Bolshevitz community. With signatures of rabbis of Kollels of Austria in Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron and Tiberias. Lemberg printing press, 1852. The letter was written in Iyar 1853. The rabbis express the Kollel's gratitude for transferring five silver-ruble to the emissaries.
[Due to a dispute between the kollel in Jerusalem and the kollel in Safed, the Safed kollel could not print the letter and it was, therefore, printed in Lemberg].
On the bottom of the letter: seal of the Kollels and signatures of 8 rabbis.
Rabbi Moshe David Ashkenazi of Toltchwa-Safed, (1774-1856), author of Toldot Adam and Be'er Sheva. Served as rabbi of Toltchwa for forty years. Moved to Safed in 1844 and was one of the founders of the Chasidic settlement in post-earthquake Safed. Father in law of the author of "Yetav Lev" and father of Rabbi Yoel Ashkenazi of Zholkiev. Rebbes of Satmar and Kloizenburg were his descendants. His home and Beit Midrash in Safed were restored by his grandson the Rebbe of Kloizenburg, and today the Sanz Institutes in Safed are located there.
Rabbi Shmuel Helir (1786-1884), was raised in the house of the Seer of Lublin who instructed him to move to Eretz Yisrael. Served as rabbi of Safed for sixty years. (Otzar Ha-Rabanim 19134). See about him and about the settlement in Safed in "The Rabbi, the Leader and the Doctor" (Safed 1988).
Rabbi Shmarya Shmeril Brandris (1780-1857), rabbi of Harlimov, disciple of Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Margaliot and Rabbi Avraham David of Butatch. Author of "Iyun Tefilah" and "Kehilot Ya'akov". Moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1852 and settled in Jerusalem. In 1856 signed the "boycott" against the Haskalah schools. (See about him in the Encyclopedia of the Sages of Galicia, 1 pp.618-619).
Leaf 22 cm, good condition, stains and folding marks.