Harsh Autograph Letter from the Admor Eliezer Zusia Portugal of Skulen, Against Agudas Yisrael’s Participation in the Israeli Knesset
Handwritten letter from Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal of Skulen regarding the prospect of Agudas Yisrael joining the Knesset, addressed to Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Levin.
Rabbi Eliezer Zusia expresses how the great leaders of the previous generation, led by the Chofetz Chaim, opposed joining up with non-believers, and that the very act of joining them by participating in the Knesset was forbidden. He writes that one can do more to strengthen religion outside of Knesset than within it.
To ensure that the recipient would not suspect Rabbi Eliezer Zusia of political inclinations, the Admor begins the letter by stressing the tremendous effort he invested for Yiddishkeit in Romania.
Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal (1898 – 1982) was a tremendous Torah scholar and prominent Admor who was close to the admorim of the Ruzhin dynasty. He served as Rabbi of Skulen, Romania, and later moved to Chernowitz, where he established a Beis Midrash, becoming one of the Chassidic leaders of his generation. He actively assisted his Jewish brethren in Romania, specifically refugee children. While his home was poverty stricken, it was open to all. He eventually fled Romania to the United States where he established Torah institutions and became one of the most influential Admorim in the post holocaust generation .
His son, the Admor of Skulen, passed away recently.
Dated Brooklyn, 1964
1 leaf | 21 x 28 cm | Hole-punches
