Letter handwritten and signed by Rebbe Yehoshua Horowitz of Dzikov, the Ateret Yeshuah. Dzikov (present day: Tarnobrzeg), [ca. 1900s].
Certificate of ordination for the shochet R. Yisrael Schub; Rebbe Yehoshua Horowitz attests to the shochet's knowledge of the laws of shechitah and bedikah, and approves of his shechitah. Signed: "Sunday, Parashat Tazria, ---, Dzikov. Yehoshua Horowitz".
At the beginning and end of the letter, stamps (faded and damaged) of the rebbe.
Rebbe Yehoshua Horowitz of Dzikov (1848 – Tevet 1912), leading rebbe in western Galicia (south-eastern Poland). Son of Rebbe Meir of Dzikov, the Imrei Noam, grandson of R. Naftali of Ropshitz. He was known as a brilliant genius from a young age, and corresponded with Torah leaders of his times. His father attested that at the age of 20, he had already finished studying the entire Zohar twice. In his father's lifetime, he was appointed rabbi of Dzikov, and from 1877, he began serving as rebbe of Dzikov. During his tenure, the Dzikov court numbered thousands of Chassidim who were elevated in Torah and fear of G-d through his presence. He was a leader of Galician Orthodox Jewry, and one of the founders of Machzikei HaDat in 1879. He published books on halachah and Talmudic topics: Emek Halachah (Lviv, 1870) and more, but was primarily known for the Ateret Yeshuah series on the Torah and festivals, and responsa.

[1] leaf. 23 cm. Fair-poor condition Open tears to center of letter, affecting text, repaired with paper. Stains.

Lengthy letter (2 pages) handwritten and signed by R. Menachem Mann son of R. Baruch of Minsk, a Lithuanian spiritual giant. Neshviz (Nyasvizh, Belarus), Elul [1818].
The letter, which is addressed to his brother R. Baruch Shimon of Shklow, first deals with familial matters. R. Menachem Mann of Minsk, who was in Neshviz at the time, asks his brother to send a package to his wife who had remained in Minsk. He also writes about a trip to Eretz Israel. Further in the letter, he guides his brother in the approach to faith and trust in G-d, and gives him interesting advice regarding the ways of teaching Torah to students.
Most of the letter (over a page) contains guidance regarding giving lectures. R. Menachem Mann, who was one of the greatest Torah disseminators in his times, advises his brother to accustom himself to studying and teaching with quick grasp and deep understanding. He describes the study program he scheduled for his students, which included both lectures and review. It appears from the letter that R. Menachem Mann would study four folios of Talmud in depth with his disciples, including Rashi and Tosafot (two folios of Tractate Bava Metzia and two folios of Tractate Chullin, with in-depth study of the topic and the relevant works of the Rishonim and poskim).
R. Menachem Mann concludes the letter with his signature, "Menachem Mann son of R. Baruch", followed by an additional short letter of several lines to his relatives and acquaintances, signed a second time.
This letter is not known from any other source, and was presumably never published. There is one other letter by R. Menachem Mann, regarding faith, trust in G-d, and being satisfied with little, "Igeret R. M. MiMinsk", published by R. Shmuel Moltzan at the beginning of the book Emunah VeHashgachah – teachings of the Gaon of Vilna (Königsberg, 1864). This letter was later published in various editions of Igeret HaGra and Igeret HaRamban.
R. Menachem Mann of Minsk (d. 1834), prominent Lithuanian Torah scholar in the times of R. Chaim of Volozhin. In his generation he was known as "HaGaon HaChassid" for his exceptional brilliance in revealed and kabbalistic realms of the Torah, and for his wondrous, holy conduct (this title was also given to the Gaon of Vilna). A leading Torah disseminator in his times, yeshiva dean and maggid in Minsk. Many rabbis in Lithuania and Minsk were his close disciples.
He was born in Polotsk to R. Baruch Stolper. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised amongst the Torah scholars of Shklow. At the age of eight (!), he was renowned as a genius well versed in the entire Talmud. From a young age, he would study eighty folios of Talmud a day with Tosafot. When not yet twelve years old, he began studying kabbalah from R. Baruch, maggid in Shklow. He married the daughter of R. Avraham son of R. Asher Anshel, a rabbi of Minsk and author of Amud HaYemini (Minsk, 1811). He was referred to in Minsk as R. Mandel (in their approbations to his book Zichron Menachem, the rabbis of Minsk also refer to him as R. Mandel, describing him as an outstanding and pious Torah scholar).
He disseminated Torah in the Batei Midrash and yeshivot of Minsk, and many Lithuanian Torah scholars were his disciples (such as the Oneg Yom Tov and others). His absolute dedication to Torah study, which is evident in the present letter, is also mentioned in Eisenstadt's book Rabbanei Minsk VeChachameha (p. 27), where R. Mandel is described as one who never ceased teaching Torah to his disciples, attempting to instill in them positive character traits and encouraging them to refrain from indulgence. His epitaph contains exceptional praise of his Torah prominence and diligence (Rabbanei Minsk VeChachameha, pp. 41-42).
A small part of his teachings was printed in the book Zichron Menachem (Warsaw, 1874), published by his son R. Yisrael Chaim Klein, and in She'erit Binyamin (Jerusalem, 1863), published by his disciple R. Binyamin Rabbi of Stołpce (who immigrated to Jerusalem), who writes: "R. Menachem Mann… whose exceptional piety and asceticism were renowned… he devoted himself body and soul to disseminating Torah… producing prominent rabbis… he received several rabbinic appointments from large, famous town, yet he didn't wish to take on a rabbinic position, preferring to continue disseminating Torah and edifying disciples".
His brother, recipient of the letter, R. Baruch Shimon, later served as maggid in Shklow, and he is mentioned in the foreword to Zichron Menachem as the one who gave the writings for publication.

[1] leaf, written on both sides and signed twice. 21 cm. Thick blue paper. Fair condition. Stains. Tears and wear, worming and folding marks. Text faded and slightly damaged in several places.

18 letters handwritten and signed by R. Mordechai Gifter, dean of the Telshe yeshiva. Cleveland and Chicago (United States), 1959-1976.
Lengthy letters of Torah thoughts sent to R. Chaim Dov Chavel, editor of the HaDarom Torah anthology. The letters include: brief essays to be published in HaDarom, corrections and comments on the books of the Ramban edited by R. Chavel, corrections and comments on various essays published in HaDarom, and more. Some of the letters also include good year wishes and greetings for various festivals.
In one letter, dated Elul 1960, sent from Chicago, he writes about the opening of the Chicago branch of the Telshe yeshiva. It is interesting to note the humility of R. Mordechai, reflected in this letter: "I have great anguish from the fact he wrote in his first letter the title 'Sar HaTorah', and please, please my friend, don't treat me in this way, writing titles which don't suit me. The conventional titles are also not accurate, but since that is the way of the world, they have no meaning anymore, but one mustn't yield to more than that".
R. Mordechai Gifter (1916-2001), a prominent yeshiva dean and Torah leader in the United States. Born in the United States, he travelled to Lithuania to study in its yeshivot. Already in his youth, he drew close to the Torah leaders of his times, absorbing from them Torah and proper conduct. He exchanged halachic correspondence with leading rabbis in the United States and Lithuania. He returned to the United States just before the Holocaust, after his engagement to the daughter of R. Zalman Bloch, dean of the Telshe yeshiva in Lithuania, and the wedding was held in the U.S. in 1940. After the Holocaust, he reestablished the Telshe yeshiva in the U.S. (together with his uncles R. Eliyahu Meir Bloch and R. Chaim Mordechai Katz, who had come on their own to the U.S. to try and save their families and the yeshiva students who were left behind in Telshe). R. Mordechai served as lecturer in the Telshe yeshiva in Cleveland and Chicago from 1943, and later as dean of the yeshiva in Cleveland. He imparted to his students exacting standards of profound Torah study and correct Torah conduct (he did not allow to write any titles of praise on his tombstone except for "taught Torah and edified students of high caliber in Torah and fear of G-d"). In 1976, he immigrated to Eretz Israel and settled in the campus founded for the yeshiva in the Jerusalem hills (presently: Telz Stone; Kiryat Ye'arim). In 1979, after the passing of R. Baruch Sorotzkin the yeshiva dean in the U.S., he returned to the U.S. to lead the yeshiva in Cleveland. His authority was recognized throughout the Jewish world as one of the leaders of his time, and he served as head of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in the United States.

18 letters (21 leaves; approx. 36 written pages), mostly on official stationery. Size and condition vary. Most in good condition.

Eight additional leaves enclosed: letter (in English) from R. Yisrael Poleyeff, a rabbi in Flatbush, with a photocopy of a letter from his father R. Moshe Aharon Poleyeff, and a typewritten copy of an essay for publication: "Letter exchange… between R. Moshe Aharon Poleyeff and his disciple R. Mordechai Gifter".
Some of the contents of these letters were published by R. Chavel in the HaDarom anthologies and in his books.

Some 290 postcards printed on the occasion of the official visit of the German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, to the Holy Land. Most printed in Germany, 1898 (many postcards with postmarks and stamps dating to the day of the arrival of the Kaiser in various stations in the course of his journey, including Jerusalem, Jaffa, Beirut, Constantinople, and other locations).
The present collection represents one of the finest and most comprehensive assortments of postcards ever assembled on the theme of the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II to the Holy Land, comprising approximately 290 postcards circulated in 1898 – some shortly before the Kaiser embarked on his journey, and some shortly after his return to his homeland – all in some way commemorating the visit, incorporating a host of illustrations and pictures.
Germany was, at the time, the world's biggest producer of postcards, and most of the postcards in the collection were in fact printed there, by dozens of different publishers; some of them were responsible for a large number of the items, while others produced only one or two. In honor of the visit, some of the publishers made a special offer to purchasers: individual postcards would be sent to one of the Kaiser's destinations in the Middle East, would await the Kaiser's arrival at that destination, and would then be postmarked on the day of his arrival and be subsequently mailed to the purchaser. The present collection includes postcards mailed from Jaffa, Jerusalem, Beirut, Constantinople, Cairo, and additional places.
Among the rarest and most important postcards in the collection are the following:
• 16 large-size (15X22 cm) photographic postcards published by Knackstedt & Näther (Hamburg), documenting the course of the visit (the Kaiser going up to the Temple Mount, the Kaiser crossing Jaffa mounted on a horse, and more); and 13 postcards from a different version of the same series, in standard size.
• 7 postcards published by H. A. I. Schulz (Hamburg), with color lithographic illustrations of stations along the Kaiser's journey and four postcards bearing illustrations from the same series published by Max Mandus (Hamburg).
• Four postcards with Hebrew captions published by Lith. A.L. Monsohn (Jerusalem). Each of them shows the Kaiser entering through a ceremonial gate, encircled by illustrations of sites of the Holy Land. The sites change from one postcard to the next: Hebron, the Jordan River, the Temple Mount, the Misgav LaDach Hospital, Rachel's Tomb, and the Western Wall. One postcard bears a Hebrew New Year greeting from the Misgav LaDach Hospital.
• 17 photographic postcards published by Carl Otto Hayd (Munich), showing: Jerusalem adorned with flags of the German Empire; Turkish sentries standing guard over the Kaiser's tent camp; the Kaiser and his entourage passing through ceremonial gates; and more.
• Five postcards published by Knackstedt & Näther, with pictures of worshippers at the Western Wall, and with a medallion bearing a portrait of the Kaiser in the bottom corner (in different colors: green, red, and blue; on three of the postcards, a commemorative inscription in honor of the Kaiser's visit has been superimposed over the Western Wall). In addition, 27 other postcards belonging to the same series, but with pictures of other sites and a portrait of the Kaiser.
• Also included: Postcards published by Vogel (Leipzig), Kutzner & Berger (Berlin), Maether & Co. (Berlin), Nister (Nuremberg), Ebuzzia (Constantinople), one photographic postcard with pictures of the Kaiser and Constantinople (printer not indicated; mailed in 1898), a lithographic postcard showing the Kaiser and Empress, with Beirut in the background (printer not indicated), and more.

Some 290 postcards. Size and condition vary. Postcards arranged in album according to printers (in alphabetical order), along with handwritten notes, in a fashion that exposes the backs of postcards sent by mail.

Also enclosed: Some 20 cards of different types (not postcards) bearing photos and illustrations of the Kaiser's visit. These include twelve collector's cards produced by the Stollwerck chocolate company, showing various stations along the Kaiser's journey, such as Venice, Constantinople, Haifa, and Jerusalem. Stollwerck was the first company in Germany to produce collectable cards; the present series was specifically issued on the occasion of the Kaiser's visit.
For further information, see:
• Ralph Perry and David Pearlman, Postcards commemorating the 1898 Journey of the German Imperial couple to the Orient (English, Hebrew and German), Stuttgart: Verein für Württembergischen Kirchengeschichte, 2019.
• Ralph Perry, Postal History of the Kaiser's Visit to the Holy Land, in: Holy Land Postal History Bulletin, issue no. 91-92, pp. 400-36.
• Ralph Perry, The Visit of the Kaiser Wilhelm to the Orient Oct. – Nov. 1898, in: Holy Land Postal History Bulletin, issue nos. 119-20, pp. 656-79.
Provenance: The Ralph Perry Collection.

Kaiser Wilhelm II's Journey to the Orient
Through the months of October-November 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and his wife, the Empress Augusta Victoria, toured some of the major cities of the Ottoman Empire, with Jerusalem being the most important of the destinations. The journey took place at a time when the impending and anticipated disintegration of the Ottoman Empire was hovering in the background, and a struggle between the European powers over the "spoils" – the assets of the so-called "Sick Man of Europe" – appeared likely to ensue in the near future. The journey went on for more than a month. Chief among its goals were the strengthening of ties between the German and Ottoman empires and the encouragement of Christian settlement in the Holy Land. Among the places visited by the Kaiser and his entourage were, in addition to Jerusalem, Athens, Constantinople, Haifa, Jaffa, Ramle, and Cairo.
Preparations for the Kaiser's visit to Jerusalem had already begun in the summer of 1898. These included a massive municipal clean-up, the improvement and overhaul of infrastructure, the laying of a telegraph line, and other operations. In time for the Kaiser's arrival in Jerusalem, a number of municipal roads were widened. The authorities went as far as breaching a gap in Jerusalem's Old City Wall, adjacent to Jaffa Gate, to enable the smooth passage of the Kaiser's opulent carriage. In addition, the city streets – most notably HaNevi'im Street, where a special tent camp for the Kaiser and his entourage, the "Camp Imperial, " was to be temporarily constructed – were adorned with the flags of Germany and the Ottoman Empire, and with makeshift, portable ceremonial gates.
One of the main highlights of the Kaiser's visit to Jerusalem was the inaugural ceremony of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. The Kaiser also visited the German Colony, the Mt. of Olives, City Hall, and other sites. From a Jewish standpoint, undoubtedly the most historically important event on the Kaiser's itinerary was his hastily arranged meeting with Theodor Herzl.
Throughout their visit, Wilhelm and the Empress were accompanied by a small entourage. The Kaiser rode either on horseback or in the imperial carriage. Following in the footsteps of his immediate entourage in Jerusalem was a parade of lesser-ranked officials, accompanied by cavalry regiments and "kawas" officials – ceremonial Ottoman-Empire bodyguards.
The Kaiser's mission was documented in its time in hundreds of books and articles, and commemorated on playing cards, board games, and souvenir cards – collector's items – featuring Holy Land landscapes. But beyond a doubt, the quintessential commemorative souvenirs of the visit were the numerous different postcards, many of excellent quality, printed specially for the occasion; an astounding number of publishers – some 350 of them, from Germany and other countries – began publishing postcards commemorating the journey on a historically unprecedented scale. Major publishers such as Vogel, Silbermann, and Knackstedt-Näther went as far as presenting stamp and postcard collectors with a special offer; in exchange for a fixed fee, subscribers would be rewarded with postcards from all the various cities the Kaiser visited, postmarked and mailed on the very day he actually made his presence in the city in question.