Polemic on Rabbi Amram Blau's Marriage to Proselyte Ruth Ben-David:

1. Lengthy letter handwritten and signed by the Rosh Av Beit Din of the Edah HaCharedit, R. Pinchas Epstein, to Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar. Sharp letter relating the events of the controversy and the ban placed on Neturei Karta leader R. Amram Blau following his marriage with the proselyte Ruth Ben-David in contravention to the ruling of the Beit Din, his expulsion from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak, and the prohibition placed upon him to resettle in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, 19 Elul, 1965.

2. "Booklet – Part II – Halachic Responsum of R. Amram son of R. Sh[lomo] Y[itzchak] Blau to an Orthodox person in Brooklyn, America, regarding someone who erroneously wrote that the Beit Din of our time has the same authority as the Beit Din of Rabban Gamliel". Bnei Brak, 3 Nisan, 1966. Five (typewritten) pages, in which R. Amram Blau demonstrates from the Talmud and early authorities that the modern Beit Din does not have the authority to override a Torah-level negative prohibition. The booklet was not distributed publicly and was kept secret so as not to reinstigate the polemic.

R. Amram Blau (ca. 1900-1974), leader of the Neturei Karta faction and younger brother of R. Moshe Blau, leader of Agudat Yisrael in Jerusalem. He was the focus of an event that caused an upheaval in Jerusalem Charedi circles – the trenchant polemic surrounding his marriage to the proselyte Ruth Ben-David. R. Amram, at the time a widower about 70 years old, was to marry Ruth Ben-David, a French proselyte, his junior by more than 20 years. Ruth Ben-David (formerly Madeleine Lucette Ferraille) was born to Catholic parents and had an academic degree in history and geography. She participated in the anti-Nazi underground in France during World War II. At the age of 31, she converted to Judaism in Paris and later immigrated to Israel. Ben-David was involved in the concealment and smuggling of Yossele Schumacher out of Israel. During that time, she became acquainted with the population of the Old Yishuv and wished to join their closed circle and marry R. Amram Blau. The Neturei Karta community and the Edah HaCharedit vehemently opposed this union, and Rabbi Blau's disciples and children saw this marriage as a blow to his honored status. The rabbis of the Edah HaCharedit also opposed his marriage on the halachic grounds of wedding a young woman to an old man as well as for fear of a desecration of God's name. Charedi circles were in turmoil; notices and proclamations were posted in the streets of Jerusalem, and the city seethed. Finally, after more than half a year of ardent controversy, and after R. Amram was placed under a ban, the two married in Elul 1965. As a result, R. Amram was forced to leave his native city of Jerusalem and moved for some time to Bnei Brak. After many years, Ruth Ben-David Blau published her best-seller Shomrei HaIr (Jerusalem 1979) in which she relates this painful story.

2 items. Varying size and condition. Overall good condition.