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“He Is Now Sitting in Prison...” – Rare and Moving Testimony to the Imprisonment of Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, in a Letter Entirely in the Handwriting of Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski to the Leaders of Petah Tikva. Vilna, 1931 - A rare, moving, and historically important letter by the illustrious gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, leader of Lithuanian Jewry and one of the greatest sages of his generation, addressed to the honored members of the municipal committee of Petah Tikva, upon the appointment of the gaon Rabbi Reuven Katz as rabbi of Petah Tikva—one of the central Jewish communities in the Land of Israel in those years. In warm and festive language, Rabbi Chaim Ozer shares his joy over this distinguished appointment: “To the noble and honored leaders of the city committee of the Holy Community of Petah Tikva, may it be established— I rejoiced when I was told that my esteemed friend, the wondrous gaon Rabbi Reuven Katz, may he live long, has been elevated to sit upon the rabbinical seat of the Holy Community of Petah Tikva...” Rabbi Chaim Ozer testifies that he had known Rabbi Reuven Katz since his youth, praising him in exceptional terms: “I have known the honored gaon from the days of his youth as one of great talent, and he has risen ever higher in the levels of Torah and rabbinic authority. He is also active in the affairs of the city and in communal matters.” He continues by blessing the people of Petah Tikva on their good fortune: “And I bless them with Mazal Tov, for they have chosen a great and distinguished rabbi, worthy to serve in splendor; and may it be that his words be heeded, to strengthen the rule of Torah, the fortresses of religion, and the houses of charity and kindness...” These words reflect the character of Petah Tikva in those years—a growing Hebrew town seeking to place strong spiritual leadership at its head—and Rabbi Chaim Ozer’s broad vision of the role of the rabbinate in building a life of Torah, charity, and kindness in the Land of Israel. Yet the unique power of this letter lies דווקא in its margin, where Rabbi Chaim Ozer adds several brief and painful lines concerning the fate of the gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, who had likewise been chosen for the rabbinate of Petah Tikva, but had been imprisoned by the Russian authorities and prevented from leaving the country: “Concerning the honored gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, may he live, I still have no good tidings to report. He is presently sitting in prison... however, there is hope that they will release him in the coming days, and the salvation of God comes in the blink of an eye.” These words, written in real time, open a rare window onto the drama of the age—on the one hand, the persecution of Torah under Soviet Russia; on the other, the building of new Jewish centers in the Land of Israel. Before us is a deeply stirring document, uniting joy and hope alongside pain and anxiety: the blessing of the leading sage of the generation to a renewed Hebrew city, and in the same breath, a prayer for the liberation of one of the great Torah leaders imprisoned behind the Iron Curtain. [1] Personal letter sheet. 27 x 21 cm. Entirely in his hand and signed by Rabbi Chaim Ozer. Condition: Very good. Filing holes.