(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).
Pinkas Chaveirim… shel Anshei America.Manuscript in Hebrew and Yiddish written ...

(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).
Pinkas Chaveirim… shel Anshei America.


Manuscript in Hebrew and Yiddish written in square and cursive calligraphic hands on paper. Multicolored calligraphic title page.
pp. 13 (excluding blanks). Original boards, light wear. Sm. folio.
Jerusalem: 1922


Manuscript ledger of a mutual aid society named “Chevrah Gemilath Chasadim” located in the Me’ah She’arim district of Jerusalem. Formed in 1898, the Anshei America group was a Jerusalem-based society established to aid immigrants from America. The introductory page of this Pinkas reads: “God remembered His nation Israel who merited to ascend to the Holy Land, among whom, were us, the children of the American Diaspora, to ascend as one…and pray in our synagogue Tiferet Israel - Anshei America in Me’ah Shearim.” This page is signed by Rabbi Samuel Rapoport (1858-1938) former rabbi of Springfield, Mass for 24 years and president of the Agudath Achim Anshei America. Following this are the establishment regulations (takanot) of the society, a list of the ten officers, and three autograph letters by Rabbi Abba Ya’akov Boruchov of Wolkovisk (Vawkavysk, Ukraine), Rabbi Rapoport and Rabbi Chaim Koleditsky, formerly of Brooklyn. A later list records all members, both men and women. A final page records donations gathered from Jews resident in Minneapolis. As Jews from various corners of Europe moved to more prosperous or holy pastures, whether to America, or to Eretz Israel, they regrouped and formed mutual aid societies based upon geographic association. This manuscript is of much interest in regard to the Aliyah of Jews from The Goldene Medinah to The Promised Land. The synagogue recorded here, “Tiferet Israel, ” was renamed Agudat Achim and remains in operation to this day. It is locally known as the ‘Amerikaner shul.’