Two letters – Rehabilitation of the Jerusalem old city institutions - the Six Days War – 1967

Two letters – Rehabilitation of the Jerusalem old city institutions - the Six Days War – 1967
a. A letter from 'Etz Chaim' Institutions to Dr. Zerach Warhaftog about the Hurva Synagogue.
In 1841, the 'Etz Chaim' Talmud Torah and Yeshiva was founded in Jerusalem by Rabbi Shmuel Salant, the rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem. It was the central Torah institution of Jerusalem those days. At first, the institution moved from one location to another in the Old City of Jerusalem until eventually, it moved in 1857 to the yard of the Hurva Synagogue. Upon his death, Rabbi Yechiel Michl Tikuchinsky replaced Rabbi Shmuel Salant as head of the yeshiva and its manager. In 1908, the yeshiva acquired another plot of land in the center of the city on Jaffa Street in order to build there additional institutions that will serve as branches of the yeshiva. Among the graduates of the yeshiva, one can find many of the greatest rabbis including Rabbi Pesach Frank, Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe Harlap and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. After Rabbi Tikuchinsky's death, his son Rabbi Nissan Aharon Tikuchinsky replaced him.
In 1948, during the War of Independence, the Hurva Synagogue was bombed by the Jordanians and 'Etz Chaim' Yeshiva had to move elsewhere. Before us is a fascinating letter from 21/6/1927, approximately two weeks after the release of Jerusalem during the Six-Day-War, in which the manager of the Yeshiva Rabbi Nissan Tikuchinsky asks the then Minister of Religious Services, Dr. Zerach Warhaftig, to enable the yeshiva to return to its location in the yard of the Hurva Synagogue by giving it financial assistance. In addition, Rabbi Tikuchinsky requests to receive the area of the synagogue itself in order to rebuild it since, so he claims, the 'Etz Chaim' Yeshiva was its guardian before it was bombed.
The letter is signed with the stamp of the Yeshiva and the hand-written signature of Rabbi Tikuchinsky.

b. A letter from the management of 'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim' Yeshiva to the Minister of Religious Services Dr. Zerach Warhaftig.
A letter from 'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim, the Yeshiva of Kabbalists, hand-signed by Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach to Dr. Zerach Warhaftig with a request to transfer the yeshiva back to its original location in the Old City of Jerusalem.
'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim' Yeshiva was located in the Old City of Jerusalem yet was forced to move after the fall of the city in the War of Independence. The letter before us, from 13/6/1967, several days after the release of Jerusalem during the Six-Day-War, was written by the representative of the management of the yeshiva, Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach, the son of the founder of the yeshiva. In his letter, he describes to the then Minister of Religious Services, Dr. Zerach Warhaftig, the decision of the rabbis of the yeshiva to return to its original location in the Old City and requests his help. "Thus, we turn to your honor to ask for his help in restoring the yeshiva and building its ruins so that the voice of the Torah will be heard from it once again and the noble prayers of the Kabbalists will break through the gates of mercy and grace".
The Kabbalist Yeshiva 'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim' (Gates of Heaven) was founded in 1906 by the Kabbalist rabbis, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach and Rabbi Shimon Zvi Horowitz. It was the most famous yeshiva among the Kabbalist yeshivas in the Old Yishuv. Rabbi Auerbach, who became a rabbi when he was only 18 and was Rabbi Horowitz' student, founded the yeshiva together with his rabbi and invested in it all his energy. The Yeshiva was under the presidency of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Ha'Cohen Kook and he spoke highly of it in his missives.
Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach (1926-2008) learned in his youth in 'Etz Chaim' Yeshiva in Jerusalem. During the sixties, he was nominated as the rabbi of the 'Baka' neighborhood in Jerusalem and led his community with much devotion and influence. He was the head of 'Or Sameach' Yeshiva for ba'alei tshuva and the head of 'Chacham Lev' Kolel near 'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim' Yeshiva. His older brother was Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, the head of 'Kol Torah' Yeshiva, who served as the president of 'Sha'ar Ha'Shamayim' Yeshiva after his father's death.
Condition: Very Good. Filing holes.