Manuscript, homily for Shabbat HaGadol in Judeo–Arabic, by R. Maimon Abohbot. Terceira (the Azores Islands), Rosh Chodesh Nissan 1845.
A piece of paper depicting a green lion is pasted in the center of the title page (other manuscripts by the author also feature a lion emblem).
The manuscript comprises a lengthy, seven–part homily. Another homily is bound at the end. Enclosed with the manuscript are four leaves by the author, with additional homilies.
The title page and colophon state the place, date and name of author.

R. Maimon Abohbot (ca. 1800–1875) was born in Mogador (Essaouira, Morocco). He immigrated to Terceira, where he served as rabbi, prayer leader, teacher, shochet and mohel. He scribed many manuscripts on various topics, all in Judeo–Arabic.
Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, North Atlantic Ocean, home to a small community of Moroccan Jews, since the 19th century. R. Abohbot's manuscripts serve as an important testimony to this almost undocumented community.

[32] leaves + [4] leaves. 21 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Large open tear to title page, affecting text and border. New binding (piece of paper featuring manuscript details and lion emblem pasted on front board, presumably from original binding).

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, AZ.011.002.

Certificate with letters of recommendation and signatures, from Ashkenazi and Sephardi rabbis of Safed and Tiberias. Safed, 1858–1860.
Certificate in square script, recommendation to support R. Yaakov of Safed (grandson of the Chavat Daat).
The first signatories are rabbis of Safed: R. Shmuel Heller, R. Mordechai Silberman, R. Baruch Kahana and others.
Further on the leaf, to the right, is a letter of recommendation (in Oriental script), from the Sephardi rabbis of Safed, signed by R. Refael Maman, R. Shmuel Abbou and others. To the left is a letter of recommendation (in Oriental script), signed by R. Chaim Shmuel HaKohen of Tiberias, followed by other recommendations (in Ashkenazic script), signed by R. Yaakov Moshe of Kosov, R. Shlomo Heilperin, and others.
Additional recommendation at the foot of the leaf (5 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Yitzchak Eizik Heilperin of Botoshan (disciple of R. Baruch of Medzhibuzh).
R. Shmuel Heller (1786–1884), prominent Torah scholar and physician, rabbi of Safed for sixty years.
R. Mordechai Silberman (1819–1872), rabbi of Uman and later dayan in Safed and Tiberias.
R. Baruch Kahana, dayan in Safed in the 1860s.
R. Shmuel Abbou (1789–1879), rabbi of the Sephardic community in Safed and consul of France. Rebuilt Safed after the earthquake in 1837.
R. Refael Maman (1810–1882) from Meknes (Morocco). Dayan in Safed and later rabbi of Tiberias.
R. Chaim Shmuel HaKohen (d. 1873). Born in Italy, he served as chief rabbi of Tiberias for thirty years.
R. Yaakov Moshe, dayan and posek in Kitov and Kosov, and later in the Safed Beit Din.
The last signatory, R. Chaim Yitzchak Eizik Heilperin (d. 1867), disciple of R. Baruch of Medzhibuzh. Head of the Botoshan Beit Din until 1858, when he immigrated to Safed.

[1] leaf. Approx. 37 cm. Fair–good condition. Stains. Folding marks. Tears and open tears to folds, affecting text, repaired with paper.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, 057.011.031.

Large parchment certificate, signed by over thirty Sephardic Torah scholars. Safed, Elul [1895].
Decorative upper edge. Neat calligraphic script – Rashi script; headings and emphasized words in enlarged square script. Arched inscriptions at top of leaf.
Certificate for the emissary R. Yaakov Yosef Afriat, issued by the organizations of the Sephardic community in Safed, addressed to the communities of Algeria. The certificate lists the Tzadikim buried in the Galil, by whose gravesites they would pray for the donors.
At the foot of the leaf, signatures of close to forty rabbis and Torah scholars of Safed (some signatures are faded and difficult to decipher). Several stamps. See Hebrew description for list of signatories.

[1] large parchment leaf. 78X53 cm. Fair condition. Stains, creases and wear. Open tears to center of leaf, affecting text (repaired with paper).

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 057.012.002.

Printed leaf with a handwritten emissary letter, signed by the Sephardic rabbis of Tiberias. [Tiberias, after 1867, ca. early 1870s].
Handwritten letter in semi–cursive Oriental script (Rashi script), with emphasized words in square calligraphic script. Scribed on stationery with printed verse and illustration of the synagogue of R. Meir Baal HaNes set against the Sea of Galilee.
Signed by seven rabbis of Tiberias: R. Refael Maman (signature–stamp), R. Masoud Hatchuel, R. Refael Avraham Khalfon, R. Shlomo Toledano, R. Yosef David Abulafia, R. Yaakov Abulafia, and another stamp. Stamp of the Kollelot of the Sephardim in Tiberias beneath the signatures.
Letter of blessings and appeal, addressed to the philanthropist R. Mordechai Nissim Chazan, with a recommendation for the emissary R. David Soudri, who was being sent on a mission to relieve the famine caused by three years of drought in the Galilee.

[1] double leaf. 30 cm. Good–fair condition. Stains. Folding marks, with tiny tears, repaired with paper.

The stationery was presumably printed in Jerusalem in 1867.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv.

Large parchment certificate, with over fifty signatures of Sephardic Torah scholars. Tiberias, Sivan 1914.
Decorative upper edged. Neat calligraphic script – Rashi script; headings and emphasized words in enlarged square script. Arched inscription at top of leaf. Colorful ornaments added at a later date.
Certificate for the emissary R. Yaakov Ben Tzuri, issued by the Sephardic Kollelot in Tiberias (Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes fund), and addressed to the communities of Morocco, Gibraltar, Portugal and Brazil.
Signatures of over fifty Torah scholars and rabbis of Tiberias (some signatures are faded and difficult to decipher). See Hebrew description for list of signatories.
At foot of leaf, recommendation from the Chacham Bashi of Tiberias, R. Chai Abulafia, with his stamp.

[1] large parchment leaf. 90X50 cm. Good–fair condition. Stains, creases and wear. Tears and open tears (repaired, new parchment replacements).

The present emissary letter was published in "Sefer Teveria", by Oded Avissar, Jerusalem: Keter 1973, opposite p. 152 (Hebrew).

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 057.012.001.