Two letters bound together: letter from Moses Montefiore, mentioning the difficult situation of Persian Jewry, 1873 / letter to Montefiore from the rabbis of the Isfahan community, 1880.
1. Letter handwritten and signed by Moses Montefiore. East Cliff, England, 1873. English.
In this letter, which is addressed to "My dear Guedalla" – presumably the Zionist philanthropist Haim Guedalla (Montefiore's relative), Montefiore thanks him for the update on the improving state of health of Juliana Lucas, his niece. On the fourth page of the letter, Montefiore mentions the St. Petersburg report, presented by Montefiore to the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews in 1872. A short line on the second page of the letter alludes to Montefiore's efforts on behalf of Persian Jewry: "The accounts from our brethren in Persia continue most distressing".
[2] ff. (4 written pages). 18 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, creases and folding marks. Numbering in pencil and colored pencil on first page. Minor tears. Remnants of blue paper and ink on final page, from adjoining letter, affecting text. Strip of tape to inner margin of first page (covering beginning of each line of text).
2. Letter from the rabbis of Isfahan, addressed to Moses Montefiore, 1880. Hebrew.
Letter from the rabbis of Isfahan – R. Yehuda son of R. Yosef, R. Yeshaya son of R. Yosef, R. Avraham son of R. Yechezkel, R. Yosef Shalom son of R. Yehuda Melamed – addressed to Moses Montefiore; written by a scribe, with the stamps and signatures of the rabbis, and with the addition of several lines in their handwriting.
In their letter, the rabbis of Isfahan appeal to Montefiore to raise funds for their community, to enable them to subsist honorably and to allow them to continue teaching and studying Torah unrestrictedly.
[1] f. (1 written page; blue paper). Approx. 21 cm. Fair condition. Text on left side of leaf partially erased. Stains and creases. Minor marginal tears; open tear on left side of leaf, affecting text.
Both letters are bound together in fine leather binding (new).

Montefiore began working to alleviate the plight of the Persian communities already ca. 1840, using all the means at his disposal – direct donations and fundraising, diplomatic channels and by meeting with the Persian Shah himself, to assist the Jews who were suffering persecution from the authorities, pogroms and forced conversions. During the great Persian famine of 1871-1872, the rapid and effective aid arranged by Montefiore saved many Jews. In 1873, Montefiore met with the Shah, and procured his assurance to protect Persian Jewry.
For more information, see: Amnon Netzer, Montefiore and the Jews of Persia, in: Pe'amim, XX, Yad Ben Zvi, 1984. Pp. 55-68.

Some 45 letters written by Shai (Shmuel Yosef) Agnon, all but one handwritten by him; most of them personally signed. 1930s to 1960s. Hebrew and some English.
Intriguing collection of letters written by one of the greatest of Hebrew authors of the Modern Era, Shai (Shmuel Yosef) Agnon, all written in his inimitable, singularly distinctive style, laced with sharpness, wit, and his characteristic humor. The majority of letters are addressed to the author, poet, sculptor, and editor of the daily newspaper "Haaretz, " Benjamin Tammuz. Several other letters are addressed to the author and poet Shin Shalom, editor of the journal "Carmelit." And in one other letter, addressed to Israel Meir Lask, who translated Agnon's novel "Hakhnassat Kalah" ("The Bridal Canopy") into English, Agnon congratulates the translator on the occasion of the publication of the English edition of the book. The great majority of the letters deal with various literary subjects, such as the publication of stories and articles by Agnon, assorted requests from editors pertaining to his writings, and other such matters.
Agnon was known for his insistence on having his works meticulously copy-edited, and this insistence reappears pervasively in the present letters. For instance, in one particular letter to "Haaretz" editor Benjamin Tammuz, he writes as follows: "Most honored editor, you know all too well that I would never think of troubling you to correct misprints in my writings; and even if, at the proofreader's, one city was exchanged for another, for instance Hamburg for Homburg, I remained silent; in the World of Rectification all is eventually rectified. But with regard to several errors that occurred in my article on Buber, I request that you correct them immediately, for they are of the [types of] errors that cannot be corrected in the World of Rectification if they are not first corrected in the World of Error."
In some of the letters, Agnon complains about unwanted guests and various annoyances that disrupt his work; he also gripes about the irritations of his advanced age. In one letter he writes as follows: "Had I had a little more time on my hands, I would have written [something] to protest the custom of sending flowers. Personally, they irritate me and interfere with my breathing. May I just make it through those days without a runny nose." And in another letter: "I now have two equal 'Carmeliyot' [i.e. identical copies of the same issue of the journal "Carmelit"]. I would gladly return one of them to you, but the difficult task of mailing [an item] and standing in line at the post office, and so forth, and [having to deal with] the clerks – most of whom are not expert in the laws of mail – is just too burdensome for me in my old age."
On more than one occasion, Agnon lets loose with his biting sarcasm. In one (incomplete) letter, he writes as follows: "Perchance you are familiar with Avirum, general secretary of ACUM [the Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel]. Please explain to him that, if it isn't too much trouble, he should not treat me like some administrative clerk. I would have answered him, but he is unable to read my handwriting...".
In one particular letter, Agnon relates to the subject of the Eichmann Trial, which rattled the entire country in the early 1960s: "Thank Boaz Evron on my behalf for his article ‘The Great Circus.' If only his words be heeded, such that no Jew will go see that pathetic comedy that renders the blood of the Jewish people cheap" (Evron's [Hebrew] article "HaKirkas HaGadol" ["The Great Circus"] was published in the daily newspaper "Haaretz" on March 15, 1961).

Size and condition vary. Overall good condition. Several letters incomplete. Blemishes to some letters: stains, closed and open tears, ink smears, minor creases; some affecting text.

Enclosed:
• Eight letters sent to Israel Meir Lask (1905-1974), translator of Agnon's novel "Hakhnassat Kalah" ("The Bridal Canopy") into English, plus one additional letter sent by Lask himself. These letters mostly deal with the translation of Agnon's letters. Among the senders are Dr. Moritz Spitzer, who represented the Schocken Publishing House in Germany; Regina Klapper, who represented Schocken in New York; Rabbi Eugene Cohen; and others.
• "Request Form regarding an Aliyah Permit for an Overseas Relative, " signed by Agnon, thus making him a guarantor for his relative, Shemarya Appelberg, and his family, enabling their immigration to Israel.
• Handwritten draft of an article by Shin (Shemu'el) Bas on the occasion of Agnon's sixtieth birthday.

Letter handwritten and personally signed by Albert Einstein, and letters handwritten and personally signed by his second wife, Elsa. Addressed to their friend, the Danish journalist, Karen Stampe Bendix. German.
1. Letter from Albert and Elsa Einstein. Written on the shore of Cristóbal, Panama, and sent from on board the steamer "Oakland" operated by HAPAG (Hamburg-Amerika Linie). Written on HAPAG stationery. December 31, 1932. German.
There are two parts to this letter, the first handwritten by Elsa Einstein, and the second handwritten by Albert Einstein (hand-signed "A. Einstein").
In this letter, Elsa Einstein expresses her gratitude to Stampe Bendix for the fruit basket she sent to the couple, and writes of how the voyage on board the ship has been good for her husband, who has never appeared as calm and collected. In his note, Albert adds his own warm thanks to Stampe Bendix, adding that "I often feel ashamed when I am showered with unearned kindness and sympathy." In the first half of December, 1932, Albert Einstein and his second wife Elsa embarked on a sea voyage to America on board the steamship "Oakland"; Albert was en route to a series of lectures in addition to meetings regarding his professional and academic future, but he had no idea at the time that he and his wife would never return to Germany.
While Einstein was visiting the United States, on January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. The rise of the Nazis to power opened a new chapter in German history. Albert and Elsa returned one more time to Europe, but refused to set foot in Germany. In Belgium, Albert Einstein renounced his German citizenship (for the second time), publicly denounced the barbarism of the Nazi regime, and resigned his membership in the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Many of his former friends and colleagues at the Academy greeted the news of his resignation with silence. His summer home in the village of Caputh (near Potsdam) was looted and plundered, a bounty was placed on his head, and his writings were destroyed in a public book-burning that took place in May, 1933. Upon his return to America, Einstein accepted the job offer made to him at Princeton University's newly created Institute for Advanced Study. He and Elsa settled in Princeton, New Jersey, where he resumed his scientific and political activity. Einstein remained in Princeton until his death in 1955.
[1] f., folded in half (three handwritten pages), 18.5 cm. Good condition. Fold lines and minor creases. Minor stains. Minor tear to edge.
2-5. Three letters and a postcard, handwritten and hand-signed by Elsa Einstein. Europe, [1930s]. One letter written on Albert Einstein's personal stationery.
These letters deal with various personal matters. In one letter, Elsa Einstein requests that Stampe Bendix mark the envelopes of all letters addressed to her as "personal" and "urgent, " otherwise Albert will simply lay them down on her desk without telling her, and they will be ignored and forgotten. In another letter, Elsa writes that Albert has been away for ten days already, addressing the League of Nations in Geneva, and begs for Stampe Bendix's patience in her anticipation of a response from him.
Additionally, Elsa offers advice on the subject of raising children; invites Stampe Bendix to come and visit (but warns her to give plenty of notice, because the house is so often filled with guests); thanks her for the bread she has been sending, but pleads with her to stop doing so because there is more than enough fresh bread available in the house; and more.
Size and condition vary. Overall good condition. Minor stains, fold lines, and creases. Open tear to upper portion of one letter (not affecting text).

Karen Stampe Bendix (1881-1963), Danish educator, screenwriter, and author. Daughter of the Danish-Jewish composer Victor Bendix and the Danish baroness, author, and philanthropist Rigmor Stampe Bendix (goddaughter of Hans Christian Andersen). Stampe Bendix became friendly with the Einstein couple in the 1930s, and published a lengthy article on Albert Einstein in the Danish daily newspaper "Politiken."