Historical Proclamation by Rabbi Sghmuel Salant, Rabbi Yitzchak Belzer and the Ridbaz – the Polemic of Kollel ...

Historical Proclamation by Rabbi Sghmuel Salant, Rabbi Yitzchak Belzer and the Ridbaz – the Polemic of Kollel America – (the Only Copy in the World?)
A short booklet of 3 pages which contains printed letters by the most prominent rabbis of the Land of Israel about the controversy regarding the distribution of charity funds and Kollel America. Jerusalem, 1906.
Extremely rare! Bibliographically unknown and does not appear in public libraries. It is most likely that this is the only copy in the world of the booklet, which sheds light on a historical affair!
At the head of the first page, the official logo of "Ha'Va'ad Ha'Klali" of "Kollelot Ha'Ashkenazim Prushim Ve'Chassidim" of the four hoy cities of Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron and Tiberius. At the center of the logo there is an illustration of "Nachalat Knesset Yisrael" which was being built by the Va'ad.
The booklet begins with a (Yiddish) letter by the eleven heads and managers of Ha'Va'ad Ha'Klali to the Jewish philanthropists of America, describing the letters by the rabbis which appear in the following pages of the booklet regarding the charity funds that reach the Va'ad Ha'Klali and on which the lives of 23,000 people depend!
On the next page, a letter by Rabbi Shmuel Salant (the Rabbi of Jerusalem) and Rabbi Yitzchak Belzer (who was a disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and served as the chairman of Ha'Va'ad Ha'Klali). Tevet 1906.
In their letter, the rabbis describe the "compromise that was reached by the Kollelot of our country regarding the distribution of the charity funds that arrive from your country", when two thirds of the funds are distributed by Ha'Va'ad Ha'Klali to all the Kollelot and a third is given directly to immigrants from America. The rabbis add that the members of Kollel America initiate "quarrels and arguments, to swallow from the two thirds that remain for their poor brothers of all the other Kollelot".
The rabbis beg the philanthropists of America: "Please look with mercy at the twenty three thousand people, your own brothers … whose fate is bitter and poverty and suffering are unimaginable and indescribable, especially now when the income from the countries of Russia and Poland have completely ceased … please do not enable to prevent the meager piece of bread from the mouth of the poor of the Holy Land".
A touching letter indicating the terrible financial situation of the Jews of the Holy Land. It should be noted that printed letters signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Belzer are extremely rare, since he lived in Jerusalem three years only, until his death.
On the last page, a printed letter by the Ridbaz (1845-1914), the rabbi of Safed: "I was astonished when I saw the printed letter that arrived from America … because who dares to touch this great holy thing which is related to all four countries whom the first like angels labored to establish the Va'ad Ha'Klali … which concerns thousands of people and saving lives…". He signs: Ya'akov David Ridbaz Slutzker".
Condition: Good. Restored.