Collection of letters, handwritten and personally signed or stamped by Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem (Sholem Rabinovich), and an assemblage of cards, leaflets, and notices. Europe (one letter from New York), early decades of the 20th century. Yiddish and German.

Included in the collection:

1-7: Seven letters handwritten by Sholem Aleichem, in beautifully eloquent Yiddish, bearing his distinctively handsome style of handwriting. Addressed to his friend M. Hammer of Vienna, who produced rubber stamps (incl. Sholem Aleichem’s own, personal rubber stamp). Hammer was a member of several Viennese organizations that acted on behalf of the Jews of Galicia (southeastern Poland and southwestern Ukraine of today). Most of the letters were sent between March and May of 1906, while Sholem Aleichem was conducting a lecture tour, visiting various European cities. The letters deal with preparations for an evening in Vienna of readings of his stories, on behalf of Jewish refugees from Russia; in the margins of two of these letters, Sholem Aleichem writes out (by hand) his proposed program for the evening of storytelling; the collection also includes a printed leaflet/program bearing the final version of the sequence of the evening’s events. Some of the issues addressed by Sholem Aleichem in the present collection of letters are summarized in the following excerpts from the text:

"I have more faith in a "meshumed" [derogatory Yiddish term for a convert from Judaism, usually to Christianity] than I have in a rabbi. And especially the type of "meshumed" who devotes himself to [the cause of assisting] Jews. But I fear the entire affair in Vienna will be superfluous. What if Heaven forbid there’s no audience for me in Vienna?"; "There is no cure for assimilation… Only if you think Vienna is big enough that a number of folks with some connection to Sholem Aleichem could be found [there]… So it would be good to hold this evening [gathering] on the last day of Passover… I was thinking, rather than creating a big hullabaloo, it would be far preferable to restrict the evening [gathering] to a limited group and under appropriate circumstances. The smaller the audience, the more joyful the feast"; "I received a telegram today from the city of Lemberg [Lvov, Lviv] with only three words: Come [to] Vienna [on] Thursday… I’m here in Romania until May 3, the ‘world’ won’t leave me alone…" "I arrived fully enchanted from Switzerland. God Almighty! The same Lord who created the Kasrilevka of Russia also created the Bern and Zurich of Switzerland. A Divine wonder!" (from the Yiddish).

In some of the letters, Sholem Aleichem relates to the personal rubber stamp Hammer made for him, modeled after the author’s personal hand signature (the inked stamps made with this rubber stamp appear numerous times on the letters themselves):

"When I look at it, I can [easily] be mistaken and think that this is my own [hand] signature… The black ink is good…"; "Your Sholem Aleichem was stolen from me in Bukovina! I fear that Heaven forbid there will now be two ‘Sholem Aleichem’s. He [the ‘other’ Sholem Aleichem] will mark [a document] with your rubber stamp and say: ‘See here, whose signature is this?’ I’ll be forced to provide evidence that I am the real Sholem Aleichem, and that the ‘other’ Sholem Aleichem is [nothing more than] Hammer’s artistic creation! But who will ever believe me?" (from the Yiddish).

One of the letters in the collection dates to a later period, specifically 1913 (written on the official stationery of the hotel in the Italian fishing village and seaside resort of Nervi, near Genoa); here, Sholem Aleichem informs his friend M. Hammer of Vienna regarding his failing health.

8-10: Three printed leaflets concerning the evening dedicated to Sholem Aleichem’s storytelling, which finally takes place on May 5, 1906, in the grand ballroom of Vienna’s Continental Hotel: a neatly organized program listing the evening’s events and the works to be read out loud as the main feature, and two different promotional leaflets issued by the organizing committee (M. Hammer’s name appears on both leaflets – he is identified as one of the member of the committee, and as the address for purchasing cards; and on one of the leaflets, the names of the eight men and more than 40 women on the organizing committee are listed; the addresses in Vienna of all the women on the list are given next to their names, in handwriting). Vienna, [1906]. German.

11. Undated, unsigned, and unaddressed letter; based on its content, it can be assumed to have been written by M. Hammer, Vienna, and sent to Sholem Aleichem. The letter deals with Sholem Aleichem’s anticipated visit to Vienna, and for the evening of storytelling on behalf of Jewish emigrants and refugees from Russia. At the end of the letter, the writer relates to the incident involving the theft of the rubber stamp in Bukovina. [Vienna, 1906]. Yiddish.

12. Sholem Aleichem’s personal business card, printed in London.

13-14: Two mailing envelopes bearing the handwritten name and address (in Vienna) of "M. Hammer"; one envelope was sent from Lvov (Lviv) in 1906, and the other, dated 1907, from New York.

Varying sizes and condition. Overall good condition.

Enclosed: • A public appeal in German titled "Ausruf der galiz. Juden aus Wien" – a call to Jews originating from Galicia and currently residing in Vienna to support the candidacy of Nathan Birnbaum in elections to the Austrian parliament as the representative of the eastern Galician constituency which includes the cities and towns of Buchach, Sniatyn, Zalishchyky, Tlumach, and Borszczów (Borshchiv) [Vienna, 1907]. At the bottom of the page is a list of the names of members of the Committee of Jews from Galicia Residing in Vienna; among these names is M. Hammer (on the side of the page, it is stated tat M. Hammer is in possession of some 3,000 original signatures from Jews originating from Galicia and currently residing in Vienna). • A notice issued by the Viennese journal "Jüdische Abende" (lit. "Jewish Evenings"): an invitation to participate in a third evening of readings of works selected from the body of Yiddish literature (again, the name "M. Hammer" appears here among the members of the evening’s organizing committee). Vienna: Ignaz Spitz, printer, [early 20th century]. • Two Yiddish newspaper clippings reporting on Sholem Aleichem’s visit to the United States.

Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.

"Himlen in Opgrunt" ["Heavens in the Abyss"], by Chaim Krul (Krol). Lodz: Achrid, 1921. Yiddish, with an additional title page in Polish. Linocuts by Esther Karp.

A volume of poetry by Chaim Krul. The entire book – cover, illustrations, and text – is filled with linocut watercolor illustrations by Esther Karp. Illustrations created in watercolor. Copy No. 72 from an edition of 200 numbered copies. The title page bears a personal dedication, handwritten by the artist (in Yiddish): "[To] the dear Alia Tcherniak, from Esther, Warsaw, July 14, 1922".

Esther Karp (1897-1970) was born in Skierniewice, Poland. Her father, Lipman Karp, owned a photography studio. After graduating from the local gymnasium (high school), Karp moved to Vienna to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. In the early 1920s, following her graduation from the academy, she moved to Lodz and became a member of the "Yung-Yiddish" group. Karp continued her career as a painter after moving to Paris in 1925. She suffered from emotional disorders for much of her life, and spent her last years hospitalized at the Ste. Anne psychiatric hospital in Paris.

The Achrid publishing house in Lodz was also responsible for publishing other books designed by "Yung-Yiddish" artists, including a volume of poetry by Rachel Lipstein with linocuts by Dinah Matus (see Kedem Auction Catalogue No. 56, Lot 154).

Collection of some 130 paper works from the estate of the Safed artist R. Yosef Zvi Geiger. [Safed, late 19th and early 20th centuries].

Assorted collection, including works and items from the estate of R. Yosef Zvi Geiger of Safed, constituting an important example of Jewish folk art in Eretz Israel at the turn of the 20th century. Most items in the collection were created by Geiger himself, some are dated in pencil, and some bear Geiger's estate stamp (in the form of his signature).

The collection includes:

• Some 15 papercuts – intricate and delicate color works, most created for Sukkot and Shavuot – "Shavuos'l" or "Roizele" papercuts decorated with flowers, buds, birds, deer, etc. Some are accompanied by biblical verses.

• Some 25 Sukkah decorations – mostly three-dimensional decorations intended for hanging – animal figures, pennants and others – and colorful posters. The decorations are made of paper, wood and fabric threads.

• Some 90 sketches for various works – illustrations of animal and flower figures, Mizrach and Shiviti plaques, various decorations for Sukkah, Shavuot, Passover and Purim, various certificates (membership certificates, ketubot, notices, illustrations of figures and animals) and more. Most sketches are drawn in pencil or ink on tracing paper.

Enclosed are several works by other artists: • Two large pencil sketches (for woodwork or plasterwork?), signed "Acher Birnbaum" (one dated 1909, Jerusalem). • Lithographed micrography by "the young Samuel Shulman of Jerusalem, in Safed" – illustrations of the Western Wall, Temple Mount, Mount of Olives and surroundings [Jerusalem, late 19th century]. Two copies, one colored. • Lithograph – illustration depicting the Binding of Isaac. [Jerusalem? Ca. early 20th century]. Three copies. • The English Royal Family, color lithograph with portrait of the British royal family in the days of Edward VII (1841-1910). • And more.

Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), native of Safed. One of the most prominent public figures in Safed. He served as general secretary of Safed's "Kolel" institutions, and his home was a regular meeting place for the "gaba'im" (managers) of the various local Kolelim and congregations. The Yishuv's foremost newspapers – including Havatzelet, HaLevanon, and HaZefirah – regularly published his articles. He also served as a scribe for the Kolelim, and assisted illiterate members of the community by writing letters on their behalf. Geiger was renowned in Safed for being both a gifted scribe and talented painter, entrusted with producing beautifully scripted documents. Among his extant works are splendid "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques, calligraphic and illustrated title pages for "donors' books", certificates for donors and greeting letters, and papercuts in the Eastern European style. His contemporaries recall the beautiful "ketubahs" (marriage documents) he produced for the city's couples, decorated with gilt lettering and floral and vegetal designs; and the artworks he created to adorn the walls of the local synagogues, including gilt-lettered plaques. Among his many special talents was his ability to inscribe micrographic texts onto grains of wheat; he could fit several verses from the Bible onto a single grain. In the (Hebrew) book of memoirs by Yosef Zvi's grandson, Benjamin Geiger, entitled "One of the Elders of Safed, " Benjamin writes that his grandfather also specialized in engraving in stone (and inscribed several headstones in Safed). Benjamin also relates that Yosef Zvi was a lover and champion of the Hebrew language, and in his efforts to promote the language he would put up signs with words in Hebrew on the walls of study rooms and yeshivas throughout the town, so that children would get to know these words. He personally taught the language to his children and grandchildren, ensuring they would become entirely fluent.

Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.