Charity Fund Controversy. Jerusalem, 19th Century. Rabbi Shmuel Salant, Rabbi Ya'akov Yosef - Rabbi of the Kollel. ...

Charity Fund Controversy. Jerusalem, 19th Century. Rabbi Shmuel Salant, Rabbi Ya'akov Yosef - Rabbi of the Kollel. [3] Letters
One of the stormiest episodes in 19th century Jerusalem was the founding of Kollel America, which "encroached" on the Va'ad HaKlali, an institution which included most of the Ashkenazic sects in the Land of Israel.
Background: With the establishment of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem, the hegemony of the city was in the hands of the Perushim, under Rabbi Shmuel Salant's leadership. Eventually - in the wake of the immigration from Poland and Austria-Hungary, there began to be internal divisions in the kollel organization, and a series of kollels was established, to R' Shmuel's dismay. Following the growing divisions, R' Shmuel initiated a general fund to unite all the kollels under one umbrella. Indeed, all the kollels joined this initiative, except for one - Kollel Hungary. This caused unrest between the two bodies, which intensified. When Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin arrived in the Land, the city's scholars and zealots were drawn to him. They decided to found a fundraising body that would compete with the Va'ad HaKlali. This new body was called "Kollel America." It was called by this name because America was the major source of donations. This step stirred up the (Chareidi) Yishuv in the Land in particular, and the Jewish world in general. The kollel was founded in 1896 with the declared intent of supporting poor people from America who ascended to the Land of Israel and did not receive "chalukah" monies from the veteran kollels. Dozens of letters were exchanged on this matter. R' Shmuel Salant published a proclamation in which he wrote: "Establishment of this kollel is the destruction of the whole Yishuv." At the beginning of the controversy, Rabbi Diskin's stance was ambiguous. It was only in mid-1897 that his well-known letter was published, in which he wrote "Kollel America was founded with my approval."
The letters before us reveal for the first time that the leaders of the opposition knew of Rabbi Diskin's approval already at the beginning of the year.
* The first letter is from the rabbis and gabbais of the charity fund in New York to Rabbi Shmuel Salant, in which they pour out their hearts about the severe ramifications caused by Kollel America. This letter is interwoven with sharp expressions against "The people from Galicia who are ruining and destroying our plans." Later on, they reveal that compromise-agreement had been signed with them, and that they had already breached it.
The letter is signed by: the kollel rabbi R' Katriel Shrason, Baruch Benedict Katz, DovBer Zilberman, Yechezkel Shlank HaKohen, Chaim son of Nachman Berman, Moshe Aharon Aaronson, Natan son of Yitzchak Rosen. 25 Cheshvan 1896.
* The second letter was sent two days after the first, on 27 Cheshvan, to R' Shmuel Salant and members of the Va'ad HaKlali. In the letter, the above rabbis inform them that they sent a letter of protest to three rabbis serving in the city - to Rabbi Salant, to the author of Torat Chessed of Lublin, and to Rabbi Diskin - "The rabbi from Brisk" so that they would not be of assistance to destroyers of the city, and that they should use every excuse to cancel the new kollel.
* The third letter is a response from R' Shmuel Salant to the New York rabbis. It was written on 22 Tevet, just after receiving their letters. It is a fascinating letter, full of sensational historic revelations. R' Shmuel, despite his well-known humility, holds himself responsible for the process of founding the settlement in the Land of Israel; for this his his father-in-law transferred leadership to him, and that no body may found an institution against the supporting institutions whose predecessors devoted themselves for them.
The gaon Rabbi Shmuel Salant [1816-1909], was the esteemed rabbi of Jerusalem for approximately 70 years, and leader of all the Ashkenazic communities in the Land of Israel. He was known as a child prodigy. When he was just barely bar mitzvah age, he received a letter from his rabbi, the gaon Rabbi Abele Fasswaller, Ra"avad of Vilna, with a complex question related to arranging a divorce document. This letter demonstrates that his rabbi already relied on his rulings as the rulings of an expert rabbi in Torah. In his youth, he studied as chavrutah with the gaon Rabbi Yisrael of Salant [patriarch of the mussar movement]. He was summoned to the Land of Israel in 1841 to take the highly respected position of rabbi of Jerusalem and leader of the Perushim. He founded educational and chessed institutions there, as well as a Beit Din, and established the Ashkenazic community. He is especially known for his rare brilliance.
Especially important collection for scholars of the Old Yishuv. Various sizes; very fine condition.