Rare Letter of Request to the Governor of Jerusalem to Position Police along the Road to Rachel's Tomb for the ...

Rare Letter of Request to the Governor of Jerusalem to Position Police along the Road to Rachel's Tomb for the Duration of Elul. 10 Elul 1929

Rare letter! Sent by the chief rabbinate of the Land of Israel to the Governor of Jerusalem. In the letter, the rabbis submit a request to keep watch over the road to Rachel's tomb for the month of Elul so that Jews can pray there safely. 10 Elul 1929.

Decription: [1] leaf, official stationery. 27x21 cm.

Background: In light of the 1929 massacres in Hebron [August 23 1929], the rabbis in the Land of Israel were concerned about additional pogroms against the Jews in the Land. About three weeks after the massacre, they submitted a letter to the British governor of Jerusalem and the Galilee with a request that he set up British soldiers to keep watch over pilgrims to Rachel's tomb: "There is a sacred religious custom for Jews ... to prostrate ourselves upon our mother Rachel's tomb during the month of Elul ... and given that the tomb is part way to Hebron and that there is no Jewish settlement in the area, it is worthwhile to secure the lives of the petitioners both at the tomb and on the road there from Jerusalem - we request that a British police guard be set up to watch over the way from the city to the tomb ... without this minimal security, Jews will be unable to fulfill the sacred custom of thousands of years, which will upset not only the Jews of the Land of Israel, but also Jews the world over who look to ... the matriarch's tomb ... we await the response as soon as possible so that we can give directions accordingly to the caretakers of the tomb." Signed by the secretary of the chief rabbinate, Shmuel Aharon Webber.

Condition: Fine. Fold marks, torn filing holes. Slight tear on the top without lack to text.