Polemic of the Rabbinate of Vilnius, which Stirred Up the Emotions of the Entire Jewish World – the Letters of ...

Polemic of the Rabbinate of Vilnius, which Stirred Up the Emotions of the Entire Jewish World – the Letters of Protest of the Geniuses of the Generation against "the Change of the Character of the Rabbinate" – [1929] – a Historical Item
Historical background
During the years 1928-1930, an intense controversy shook up the Jewish world. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky lived then in the city of Vilnius, bearing a very modest official title: teacher of Jewish law (Moreh Hora'ah). He was appointed as such already when he was twenty four years old, although there were other prominent Torah geniuses in Vilnius at the time.
It was customary in Vilnius at the time that the rabbis of the city were not officially ordained as rabbis.
During those years, Rabbi Yitzchak Rubenstein, a student of the Slabodka Yeshiva, arrived in Vilnius and presented himself as a candidate for the position of rabbi on behalf of the government. Rabbi Chaim Ozer and the other rabbis of Vilnius exerted their influence so that Rabbi Rubenstein will win the elections. Indeed, for several years, Rabbi Rubenstein did not interfere with rabbinical matters but served only as a Gabai and public activist. However, after World War I, he started to act in practice as the Chief Rabbi of Vilnius. Consequently, an intense controversy arose, which exceeded the boundaries of Vilnius and stirred up the emotions of the entire Jewish world. The most prominent rabbis expressed their opinion on the dispute between Rabbi Chaim Ozer and Rabbi Rubenstein, among them the Chazon Ish.
Before us are three authentic documents related to the controversy, which were impressively well-preserved. These documents are from the archive of Rabbo Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the rabbi of Ha'Edah Ha'Charedit of Jerusalem, which were sent to him by the "Committee of the Gathering of Rabbis in Raduń".
A. A letter to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the 14th of Tevet 1929, stencil priniting, with his hand-filled name in ink.
"On behalf of the gathering of rabbis that took place recently in Raduń according to the call of the 'Chafetz Chaim' about the scandal here in Vilnius regarding the question of the Chief Rabbi … we hereby enclose two versions of protest and ask his honor to sign his name on each of these versions, which will be printed …"
B. And C. The two versions of protest, defending Rabbi Chaim Ozer the rabbi of "Jerusalem of Lithuania" – the community of Vilnius.
In one of them it was written "The new community with its decision has offended not only the honor of the ancient community but that of the entire Jewish community … we see this as a first step that was intentionally taken to change the character of the Rabbinate, which has been customary for generations".
Size of letter: 13x21cm. Condition: Impressively well-preserved. Filing holes.
Size of leaves of protest: 30cm. Condition: Good. One of them was torn and glues with slight damage to text. Filing holes.