Auction 1 Rare and Prestigious Items
By King David Auctions
Mar 19, 2018
22 Ha'Nassi Ha'Shishi st., Jerusalem, Israel

Historical Documents, Rare Books, Rabbis Letters, Art and Banknotes

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LOT 128:

The Hassidic Synagogue 'Tiferet Yisrael' of the Old City of Jerusalem – Three Special Important Items – Including ...

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Sold for: $2,600
Start price:
$ 600
Estimated price :
1,500-2,000$
Buyer's Premium: 20%
VAT: 17% On commission only

The Hassidic Synagogue 'Tiferet Yisrael' of the Old City of Jerusalem – Three Special Important Items – Including an Inscription Most Likely Handwritten by Rabbi Shmuel Salant – 1894-1928
Historical background:
For dozens of year the Hassidic synagogue 'Tiferet Yisrael' of the Old City of Jerusalem was a symbol of majesty. Due to its immense height, it towered over all the houses around it and even above its well-known neighbor, the "Hurva" synagogue.
The "Hurva" synagogue was the center of the Mitnagdim while "Tiferet Yisrael" was the beating heart of the Hassidic community of Jerusalem. It was built with the support of the Ruzhin Hassidism.
The driving force behind the building of the synagogue was Rabbi Nissan Beck and consequently, for many years, the synagogue was named after him: "The Nissan Beck Synagogue".
Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin noted the importance of the 'Tiferet Yisrael' saying that when the Temple existed, the prayers of any Jew had passed through the Temple; now, when the Temple does not exist, the prayers pass through the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue!
With the fall of the Jewish Quarter in 1948, the Jordanian forces bombed the synagogue together with its "twin", the 'Hurva' synagogue. The two synagogues, which appeared in all panoramic pictures of the Old City of Jerusalem, turned into rubble.
These days, after the 'Hurva' synagogue has been reconstructed, the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue is also being reconstructed. The impressive murals that decorated the walls of the synagogue are being reconstructed as well as the Bimah, the Torah Ark and the prayer leader's pillar.
Items related to the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue have almost not survived, due to its destruction, and are therefore extremely rare.
Before us are two special, important items:
A large leaf with the inscription: "… This Bimah was rebuilt by the contribution of the accomplished philanthropist Yisrael Aharon Bar Nachman called Mr. Harry Fischel and his wife Mrs. Ch[aya] Sheina … 5688 [1928]".
This is the original leaf from which the inscription was copied and engraved on the front of the Bimah of the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue. The text is written is a nice, impressive manner, shaped as an upside down triangle and under it, a nice decoration. In this manner exactly, the inscription was engraved on the Bimah (enclosed us a copy of a rare, single photograph which shows the Bimah of the synagogue with the above inscriotion).
A special item! 43x56 cm.
Reb Yisrael Aharon Harry Fischel was an American philanthropist who established many religious enterprises and supported Torah institutions of the Old Yishuv of Jerusalem. Among others, he founded the "Harry Fischel Institute for Talmudic Research", which is still active. Except for the leaf before us, we know nothing of his donation to the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue!
Condition: Good. Tears, especially in the margins, with no omission of text and with almost no damage to it.
A letter by Rabbi Shmuel Beck, a Gabai of the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue to the rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shmuel Salant. The 15th of Av, 1894.
In his letter, the Gabai recounts his trouble that "the people in charge of Kollel Vohlin … have complained against me to the Consul Estreich due to me being te hGabai of the great synagogue of 'Tiferet Yisrael' of the Hassidic Kollelot … and claimed that they are dispatchers of the Rebbe of Boian Shalita to take the Gaba'ut from me…"
The writer continues recounts that the consul has stamped all the boxes of ritual objects, after counting all the silver in the cupboard…" Then he recalls that he had sent a letter to the Rebbe of Boian "and today I have received his response". He describes it in detail.
The signature of the Gabai, Reb Shmuel Beck, the son of the founder of the synagogue, Rabbi Nissan Beck, appears at the end of the letter.
On the reverse side of the leaf, an arithmetic inscription, most likely, handwritten by Rabbi Shmuel Salant! It is well-known that Rabbi Shmuel Salant did not write his letters himself; they were written by scribes on his behalf. The leaf before us was kept in the personal archive of Rabbi Shmuel Salant and the shaky script – which is unlike the script of his expert scribes – was most likely handwritten by him!
Reb Shmuel Beck was born in a village near Safed, where his family lived after the earthquake that destroyed Safed in 1837. The Sandak in his Brit Milah was Sir Moses Montefiore, who came to visit the family. After his marriage, Reb Shmuel was preoccupied with building new neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Among others, he built the Straus House in the Mussrrara neighborhood.
Before us is an interesting and unknown affair related to the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue! First, it was unknown that Reb Shmuel Beck was a Gabai of the synagogue that was founded by his father. The controversy regarding his position was also unknown. The involvement of the Rebbe of Boian in the affair is revealed here for the first time. An interesting, important item for the history of the 'Tiferet Yisrael' synagogue!
(Photocopies have and will not be handed out)
28.5 cm.
Condition: Good. Written on a square leaf. Folding marks and subsequent slits. Nice, orderly script (of a scribe?) with corrections and additions. Minor stains and flaws.
c. A printed page with a call on behalf of the gabbaim [sextons] of the large synagogue of the Hassidim in the Old City of Jerusalem – known as the Tiferet Yisrael synagogue – addressed to the sextons and directors of the Jerusalem synagogues. The page was printed in Tishrei (autumn) 1928, two months after the earthquake that "caused great damage to this synagogue, as is known." The call states: "We ask your honors to aid us in raising up the ruins of this 'little Temple.'" To this end, the directors asked to "make a special Mi Sheberach prayer this Sabbath, Parashat Haazinu, for all worshipers who give a donation towards the repair of the Tiferet Yisrael synagogue."
The above earthquake was the largest one of that period, and caused many casualties and great damage across the country. In the Old City, too, many homes and public buildings were destroyed - including the Tiferet Yisrael synagogue, whose repair took much time.
On the margin of the page is an official synagogue seal, containing a picture of the synagogue.
Condition: Very good. Small tears in a bottom corner.

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