Letter by Ashkenazic & Sephardic Sages of Jerusalem to Lady Judith Montefoire. Jerusalem, 1853
Letter of blessing and thanks to Lady Judith Montefoire, wife of Sir Moses Montefoire, for her generous contribution to the Bikur Cholim and Hachnassas Kallah Societies in Jerusalem.
The letter is signed by the Rishon Lezion Rabbi Yitzchak Kovo, Rabbi Shmuel Salant (signs twice) and Rabbi Yeshaya Bardaky.
1.
Rishon Lezion Rabbi Yitzchak Kovo (1770-1854) journeyed from his native Saloniki to Eretz Yisrael in his latter years where he was appointed Rishon Lezion. At the time, the Sephardic kollels in Jerusalem were in dire straits. Despite his exceedingly old age, in his final years he was determined to travel abroad to raise money for the struggling community. Unfortunately, while traveling to Egypt, he took ill and passed away.
2.
Hagaon Harav Shmuel Salant (1816-1909) was the legendary Rav of Yerushalayim and the leader of the Ashkenazic community for close to a half-century. He journeyed to the Holy Land in 1841 where he served as the spiritual leader and directed myriads of Torah and charity institutions in Yerushalayim for seventy years.
3.
Rabbi Yeshaya Bardaky (1790-1863) was the leader of the Ashkenazic Jewish community in Yerushalayim, a son-in-law of Harav Yisrael of Shklov (author of the Pe’as Hashulchan), and disciple of Harav Chaim of Volozhin. He journeyed to Tzfas in 1810, but following the devastating earthquake that ravaged the city, he settled in Yerushalayim where he stood at the forefront of the Ashkenazic community.
The righteous philanthropist
Lady Judith Montefoire (1784-1862) was the wife of Sir Moses Montefoire and his keen partner in all his noted philanthropic and charitable activities. She accompanied her husband on his travels to Eretz Yisrael where she headed the founding of the famous Bikur Cholim Hospital, which was the first Jewish hospital in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, 1853. light blue paper. Page size: 28×22 cm. Coal stamp of the Bikur Cholim and Hachnassas Kallah Societies of Jerusalem. Good condition.
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