Bidspirit auction | Collection of Letters from Rabbi

Collection of Letters from Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski – On the Anti-Shechitah Laws in Poland – 1938 - Six letters from R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, regarding the law proposed in the Polish Sejm to forbid Jewish shechitah. Vilna, Adar-Iyar 1938. The letters are addressed to his intimate associate R. Yechezkel Abramsky, and relate to various issues. All of the letters discuss the struggle to preserve kosher shechitah in Poland, faced with the law proposed by the anti-Semitic parties in the Polish Sejm outlawing shechitah. In the first letter, dated Thursday eve, 21st Adar II 1938, he writes (in scribal writing, with one line and signature handwritten by R. Chaim Ozer) that a parliamentary committee had decided to outlaw shechitah, and would turn the bill over to the Sejm for a vote, and he shares his severe appraisal of the gravity of the situation. R. Chaim Ozer asks R. Abramsky to speak with Chief Rabbi Hertz, and alludes to ways of applying diplomatic pressure. R. Chaim Ozer goes on to report on the improving health condition of their friend R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, who was still suffering from asthma and was advised by his doctors to travel for his health. R. Chaim Ozer goes on to mention the delivery of food to the Jews of Soviet Russia. He concludes with a blessing, in his handwriting and with his signature. In the margins of the letter are two lines handwritten and signed (with initials) by his relative R. Aharon Dov Alter Voronovsky – confidant, scribe and secretary of R. Chaim Ozer. In the second letter, dated Motzaei Shabbat, 24th Adar II (handwritten by a scribe, with one line handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Ozer), he reports on the passing of the anti-Semitic law in the Polish Sejm on Friday, completely outlawing shechitah. Although the law still had to be approved by the Senate in order to take effect, R. Chaim Ozer encourages R. Abramsky to address the issue as soon as possible, without delaying a single day. R. Chaim Ozer concludes with his handwritten blessings and signature. In the third letter, dated Thursday eve, 28th Adar II 1938, he writes (handwritten by his scribe, with a line handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Ozer) that the law was not yet passed to the Senate, and was temporarily postponed. He mentions a public fast day announced in his city and Warsaw. He mentions that the danger is still impending, and that the government opposes the law, but its opposition has been weakening. He mentions a letter he wrote to Chief Rabbi Hertz and mentions the name (in initials) of a British lord who was prepared to discuss the issue two years earlier. He writes further about the anti-shechitah laws in Germany, Sweden and Denmark, noting the difference from the Polish law: the proposed Polish law didn't require stunning of animals, nor did it permit kosher slaughter after stunning, but simply banned shechitah outright, simply to cause difficulty for Jews. He concludes with a line and blessings in his handwriting, with his signature. In the margins of the letter is another line handwritten and signed (with initials) by his relative R. Aharon Dov Alter Voronovsky – confidant, scribe and secretary of R. Chaim Ozer. In the fourth letter, dated the next day, Thursday, 28th Adar II 1938, R. Chaim Ozer writes (in his handwriting, with his signature) about R. Abramsky's plan to travel from London to Vilna to support the struggle, in response to a letter R. Abramsky had sent earlier which he received that day. He writes that he doesn't understand R. Abramsky's plan, repeating his message from the previous day that the Polish law has nothing to do with stunning or with animal welfare, and was only intended to exclude Jews from the meat business. He asks R. Abramsky to let him know if he still intends to visit, concluding with Passover blessings in his handwriting and with his signature. In the fifth letter, dated 5th Iyar 1938, he writes (handwritten by his scribe, with a line handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Ozer) that the shechitah issue is extremely serious and should not be delayed. He goes on to discuss transfer of funds for Torah institutions. R. Chaim Ozer concludes with a line in his handwriting, with his signature. In the sixth letter, dated 23rd Iyar, R. Chaim Ozer writes at length (in his handwriting, with his signature), regarding the anti-shechitah law, which was delayed to a parliamentary session in the beginning of June, leaving two to three weeks for action, and encourages him to strengthen the government's opposition to the laws, which may at least bring about a temporary delay. He encourages him to have Chief Rabbi Hertz continue to work on the issue without delay. He goes on to discuss budgets and transfer of funds to Torah institutions, expressing his dismay that the Chorev network of schools was removed from the budget. He also discusses the efforts to save the Rabbi of Shklow and allow him to emigrate from Soviet Russia.