Yeshivas Volozhin. Important arbitration document concerning the administration of the Yeshiva. With important ...

Yeshivas Volozhin. Important arbitration document concerning the administration of the Yeshiva. With important signatures. 1933.
Important arbitration document, dated 1933, concerning the administration of the Volozhin Yeshiva. Signed by R. Lazer Yudel Finkel of Mir, R. Moshe Shatskes of Lomza and R. Meir Karelitz. It seems that the Yeshiva, although it only had less than 40 students, still had administrative issues which had to be adjudicated by the Va’ad Ha’Yeshivos under the aegis of R. Chaim Ozer Grodzensky. This agreement, which offers a rare glimpse into the administration of a prewar Lithuanian Yeshiva, details all the financial affairs of the Yeshiva, including the salaries of the faculty, repayment of existing loans and the amount of provisions allocated to each student.
The Volozhin Yeshiva, also known as Eitz Chaim Yeshiva, was originally established by R. Chaim of Volozhin in 1803. Having served as a model for all subsequent Lithuanian yeshivas, it has deservedly been called the “mother of all yeshivas”. In 1892, the Russian government demanded the incorporation of a rigorous secular studies program in the Yeshiva’s curriculum. The Netziv, who was then Rosh Yeshiva, famously refused to comply and closed the yeshiva rather than sanction any changes to the Yeshiva’s hallowed curriculum. In 1899, R. Refoel Shapiro, the son-in-law of the Netziv, reopened the yeshiva, albeit on a smaller scale, and it came to be known as the “Second Volozhin”. It continued to function under the leadership of R. Yaakov Shapiro (son of R. Refoel), and R. Chaim Walkin (son in law of R. Refoel) until World War II.
Important document regarding the “mother of all Yeshivos” in its twilight years.
21 by 32 cm. Good condition. One holes with minor loss of text, professionally restored.
Opening bid $1500