The historic telegram sent from Kuba, Japan to the home of Rabbi Mishkovsky in Jerusalem 1941, twenty days before Yom Kippur.
"To the Rabbanim Mishkovsky, Alter, Herzog, Soloveitchik, Finkel, Meltzer. Jews are pleading save us. Answer immediately on which day to fast Yom Kippur. Agudas Rabbanim and common folk of Kuba."
In response to this urgent telegram, Rabbi Herzog convened the Rabbinical leaders of Jerusalem to discuss and resolve this crucial question.
The rabbanim responded: "In response to your telegram from 12.9 the rabbinical assembly decided that the Yom Kippur fast is on Wednesday according to the calculation that is practiced in Japan. On my part I add not to fast also on Thursday because of the danger, but you should behave on Thursday in accordance with what is explained in the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim…"
The Chazon Ish, however, vehemently opposed this ruling, and sent a telegram of his own stating: "Dear brothers, eat on Wednesday and fast the Yom Kippur fast on Thursday and do not be afraid of anything."
This was the start of the great question regarding the Halachic dateline in Japan. Of course, the contradicting responses caused great confusion in the Jewish communities of Kuba which at the time included the Mir Yeshiva, Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin and Lubavitch.
On the back of the telegram the words "urgent, urgent" are handwritten by the clerk.
21 x 14 cm | Minor tears on edges with no damage to the text
