Bidspirit auction | Important discovery: The income and

Important discovery: The income and expense ledger of the extremist “Torah VeYirah” community, Jerusalem, 1957–1958 - “Under the rule of the heretics – we do not believe / in their laws – we take no heed. In the path of the Torah we shall go, through fire and water / in the path of the Torah we shall go, to sanctify the Name of Heaven!” A rare historical item — the income and expense ledger of the ultra-extremist Torah VeYirah community, which does not recognize the State of Israel. Members of the community define themselves as Palestinian Jews, and some even travel to visit Iran. Jerusalem, 1957–1958 (תשי״ז–תשי״ח). A large accounting ledger, bound in thick covers, containing thousands of handwritten accounting lines, recording one by one the income and expenditures of the Torah VeYirah community — one of the most zealous and insular ultra-Orthodox groups in Jerusalem, known for its uncompromising ideological stance toward the institutions of the young State of Israel. Compiled by the community treasurer, the ledger provides a sweeping view of financial records and serves as a rare primary source for the history of this unique group. It presents a complete picture of the community’s internal support and assistance network: hundreds of names of beneficiaries from Jerusalem’s Old Yishuv, along with notes on the reasons for each payment — and, on the other side, a meticulous listing of the community’s mysterious sources of income, in line with its strict policy forbidding acceptance of any financial aid from the State of Israel. The ledger sheds light on an almost undocumented chapter in the history of Jerusalem’s extremist ultra-Orthodox society in the early years of the state: an independent internal economy, sustained by donations and support from within Israel and abroad, grounded in a closed and consistent communal ideology. A vivid, tangible testimony to the self-contained and distinctive world of the Torah VeYirah community — among the most zealous and self-reliant Haredi groups in post-statehood Jerusalem. This community viewed itself as the true continuation of the Old Yishuv, claiming sanctity for the Land of Israel but rejecting the sovereignty of the state. Its members zealously preserved their separate way of life, refused to participate in any state institutions, and declined all governmental aid. They sometimes described themselves as “Palestinian Jews, ” reflecting their belief that their presence in the Land predated — and was independent of — the idea of the State of Israel. Bound ledger, large format: approx. 33×20 cm; about 150 leaves, of which roughly 100–200 pages are densely handwritten, plus numerous attached slips (tsettlach) with additional notes. Condition: good to very good; hard binding, detached.