Hekdesh Contract for an Area Outside the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. c. 1930s

Hekdesh Contract for an Area Outside the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. c. 1930s

Hekdesh contract in the handwriting of 'Head of the All-h scribes - El Kaladi, done according to the Ottoman judge Saliman Hashri son of Hassan.' The contract testifies that the area outside the Old City walls south of the Arthur Cohen neighborhood which had been transferred in hekdesh from the hands of Mr. Yisrael son of Chaim Levi Zalman the Ashkenazi to Mr. Dov Ber son of Naftali Hornstein 'The Ashkenazi Jew subject of the mighty Russian government, who lives in Radomyshl near the Kiev region, the contract was done in the year 1329 [from Muhamad's birth], c. 1930s.

The area includes fourteen homes and three storerooms. The contract testifies: 'The above land and everything contained in it according to the boundaries ... belonging to the above sanctifier, in his possession, the above deed matches the official registry ... acquired the above property, and consecrated it with a proper hekdesh according to religious rules, properly established, his name will not be forgotten, and his descendents will not redeem it forever ... and he is the choice of heirs.'

The document before us details all the conditions of the hekdesh in force forever as it says: 'In this manner it will be forever until Hash-m inherits the earth and its fullness.' It's interesting to note the the hekdesh conditions include that if one of the heirs [specified by name] does not appoint a continuing heir in his lifetime, the area will be transferred to the Wallin Kollel in Jerusalem.

[2] leaves. 39x24 cm. Fold marks. A few tears in the margins. Fine condition.