Bidspirit auction | Rare Handwritten Arbitration Protocol Before

Rare Handwritten Arbitration Protocol Before Rabbi Benjamin Mendelson – Kfar Atta, Palestine, 1937 - An original and scarce handwritten Hebrew arbitration protocol dated 1937 (Hebrew year 5697), documenting proceedings concerning a land registration dispute before Rabbi Benjamin Mendelson, then Rabbi of Kfar Atta (now Kiryat Ata, Mandatory Palestine). The document is entirely handwritten in Hebrew and includes original signatures and handwritten annotations. An administrative note at the bottom states that a related letter to Tel Aviv was filed with the Haifa Rabbinate, offering a fascinating glimpse into the administrative practices of the Rabbinate during the British Mandate. Rabbi Benjamin Mendelson (1904–1979) was one of Israel’s leading Orthodox rabbis. He immigrated from Poland in 1934 and became Rabbi of Kfar Atta before later serving as Rabbi of Moshav Komemiyut. He was a prominent advocate of Sabbatical year observance without relying on the Heter Mechirah, a leading figure in Keren HaShevi’it, and later became widely known through the Yossele Schumacher Affair, from which he was acquitted in 1962. Original documents from Rabbi Mendelson’s early years in Kfar Atta are exceptionally scarce, particularly those concerning land registration and rabbinical arbitration, making this an important historical artifact from the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine. Condition: Good overall condition with expected age-related wear, light folds and minor toning. Please examine the photographs carefully for a complete assessment.