Refusal of the Rabbinate to Add Agudat Yisrael to its Services, Signed by the Leaders of Jerusalem

Refusal of the Rabbinate to Add Agudat Yisrael to its Services, Signed by the Leaders of Jerusalem

Letter from rabbis of the religious council ['מועצה הדתית'] in Jerusalem opposing the addition of Agudat Yisrael's rabbinate to its services. Signed by [15] rabbinic leaders of Jerusalem. 1963. Historic document.

In 1963, Agudat Yisrael's Va'ad HaPoel appealed to the chief rabbinate of Jerusalem with a request to join together with them and work under their auspices. Rabbis of the religious council gathered to solemnly deliberate this question. In this letter, they inform them of their decision to decline, with several reasons: It will cause internal competition, as soon as there are two bodies giving hechsherim to one product, and Agudat Yisrael adds that their kashrut is very strict - "מהדרין מן המהדרין, " this act will cause the general public to consider the supervision of the rabbinical council to be inferior to that of Agudat Yisrael. They also mention the competition of the Edah Charedit to their activities: Kashrut, marriage registration, eruvim, ritual slaughter and more. In light of all this, "Jerusalem's rabbis determine and declare not to continue to negotiate with any body with respect to joining the rabbinical council."

Signed by Rabbis: Elkanah Wassenstern, one of the leading rabbinic instructors of the city; Shraga Feivel Frank; Shalom Kassar, Mansour Ben-Shimon; Shlomo Min-HaHar; Moshe Ades; Ya'akov Yosef HaLevi Djimitrovsky; Zevulun Charlop, Yonah Re'em, Yitzchak Ya'akov Wachtfogel; Nachum Shmaryahu Shechter; Eliyahu HaKohen Rabin; Nissan Zaks and others.

[1] leaf paper, approximately 21x32 cm. Typewritten, and signed by rabbinic leaders of Jerusalem.

Fine condition: Aging stains. Filing perforations. Fold marks. Slight tears in the folds.