A letter of Shmuel Bak, One of the Builders of Jerusalem, to the Rich Man Wilhelm Pozan of Frankfurt - circa 1892

A letter of Shmuel Bak, One of the Builders of Jerusalem, to the Rich Man Wilhelm Pozan of Frankfurt - circa 1892
A letter requesting financial support which was sent by Shmuel Bak to the rich man Binyamin Wilhelm Pozan of Frankfurt. It was written at the time when Shmuel wandered around foreign countries in his poverty.
In his letter Bak relates about the many recommendation letters which he received from the rabbanim of Jerusalem, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, some of which he sent to the wealthy man. In the margins of the letter he notes: "as I have done much for the benefit of the settlement of our holy land, and I know that the great rabbi…the Rebbe Dr Horowitz was with you to mention me before you…and I am old and weak, and I was and will be a lover of Zion for as long as the soul of G-d will live". The letter is written in descriptive language in pleasant handwriting. Bak enclosed with the letter "the appearance of all of the holy places and the agricultural settlements from the cities of Zion and Jerusalem".
Shmuel Bak (born in 1839) was the son of Nissin Bak (1815-1890), who was one of the main activists in the Old Yishuv and the owner of a well-known printing press in Jerusalem. Shmuel was born in Kfar Jermak next to Meron, where his family lived after the earthquake in Safed. The sandak at his brit milah was Moses Montefiore, who came to visit the family. After his marriage he worked building the new neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Amongst other places, he built Beit Strauss in the Musrara neighborhood.
Rabbi (Binyamin) Wilhelm Pozan was one of the leaders of the Frankfurt community. He was known for his assistance in the development of the printing press in Jerusalem at that time. Amongst other things he was active in publishing the book "Or Zarua" (printed in Jerusalem in the years 1887-1890, and see there what Rabbi Chaim Hirschensohn wrote about him).
A folding page, writing on both sides.
28x22.5cm (folded).
Condition: Good. Folding signs and grooves. Stains.