Discovery: The Book of Regulations of the "Sha'arei Achva" Society (Secret Society) - Jerusalem, 1906 - the Only ...

Discovery: The Book of Regulations of the "Sha'arei Achva" Society (Secret Society) - Jerusalem, 1906 - the Only Copy in the World?
Before us is the only known copy today of the book of regulations of the Jerusalemite neighborhood "Sha'arei Achva" neighborhood which was established by the "Achva" secret society and which was printed during the Ottoman Rule. This is also the first known printed publication of the society. An important historical item with important, touching content.
The reason for the rareness of this booklet, which is bibliographically unknown and does not appear in public libraries, is that during World War I (1915), the authorities objected to the existence of a secret society and therefore, its office was closed down and its notebooks and protocols were burnt. Keeping a booklet such as the one before us was considered a felony. Since the members of the society did not want to get in trouble with the cruel Ottoman authorities, all the (not many) copies were indeed destroyed. Before us is a single (?) survivor, which reveals for the first time the first days of the secret society and the regulations of the neighborhood it had built for its members.
The content of the regulations was printed dozens of years later in a book titled "Ilanot" by Avraham Etz-Hadar. However, as the researchers of the neighborhood had noted: "Until now, we have not found an additional source for these regulations". Before us, therefore, is an important discovery - an original copy of the regulations.
The content of the booklet
The booklet begins with words of praise for the Ottoman authorities, which enabled the building of the neighborhood.
The nest pages contain important background on the "Achva" society and the initiative to build the neighborhood.
Then the detailed regulations of the neighborhood appear, including a detailed description of the land, the size of the plots and the registration of the plots in the name of the members. It should be noted that according to the Ottoman law, plots could not be registered in the name of people who were not Ottoman subjects. Therefore, the regulations determine that the plots will be registered in the name of two of the members who were Ottoman subjects and who later will transfer the rights to the real owners of the land.
Historical background of the "Achva" secret society and the establishment of the neighborhood
The worldwide "Achva" society is a religious secret society which was founded in 1895 (and is still operative today) its cause being mutual aid and actual observance of the Mitzvah of "Ve'Ahavta Le'Reacha Kamocha" (the Golden Rule). The first branch was established in Jerusalem, and later, additional branches were opened in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Safed, Tiberius, Hebron , Petach Tikvah, Haifa, New York, Egypt and London.
In 1898, the "Achva" society, upon of a request of many of its members, decided to build them a special neighborhood in the new city of Jerusalem. The society bought land close to Batei Warsaw of Meah She'arim. The neighborhood was buolt by a team headed by Rabbi Ya'akov Mann.
Among the residents of the new neighborhood were well-known Jerusalemite activists including Reb Yehuda Aharon Weiss, Reb Yitzchak Shiryon, Reb Alter Vishintzky and more.
The booklet before us was printed by the printing presses of two of the residents of the neighborhood, Reb Moshe Shmuel Shenbaum and Reb Yehuda Aryeh Weiss.
11 printed pages (including the title page) and more empty pages, which were most likely intended for writing.
Condition: Good. Slight rust around the staples. Original hard binding, slightly worn, in a shade of green.