Letter in support of “Keren HaTorah”, entirely handwritten by the famous Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Yeshaya Fürst Av Beis Din and Rosh Mesivta of “Kehal Adas Yisroel” – the “Schiffschul” in Vienna. 1927.
In this letter, sent to Rabbi Moshe Blau, Leader of Agudas Yisroel in Jerusalem, Rabbi Fürst writes that he did not participate in Vienna, and therefore the fundraising did not take proceed properly. However, he note in prosaic fashion that ‘I can truthfully state that our toil was not in vain and, with the help of G-D, the hearts were awakened and filled with holy feelings to toil in pure work for the good of studying Torah, i.e. for the benefit of Keren HaTorah, but the grapes have not ripened yet, and it will be some time before the needed money can be harvested…’
Keren HaTorah was the task force set which the International Agudas Yisroel placed in charge of supporting, funding, and establishing Talmudei Torah, Beis Yaakov, and Yesodei HaTorah schools throughout Europe. It is due to their incredible labor that the young generation growing up between the two world wars was saved, and the immense dropping out and secularization which had begun was held back.
Right before the holocaust, the Orthodox education networks had more students than all of the secular networks put together, including those of the Zionist movement, the Bund, Tsisho, and Tarbut.
Rabbi Yeshaya notes that he met his good friend, Dr. Deutschlander, from the leading founders and leaders of Beis Yaakov, and that he requested of him that they should work also on behalf of schools and Talmudei Torah in Eretz Yisroel, and that this will indeed be done.
The Gaon, the Tzaddik Rabbi Yeshaya Fürst (1857–1943) from the elite of the Ksav Sofer and the Shevet Sofer’s disciples. From the leaders of the founders of Agudas Yisiroel. Rabbi of the communities of Tyrnau and Prešov, and Rabbi and Av Beis Din of “Kehal Adas Yisroel” (Schiffschul) in Vienna. When the community was destroyed during the Anschluss in Austria, he escaped to London, where he resided and accomplished, passing away there in 1943. Authored the Sefer ‘Chazon Yeshaya’.
[1] postcard. Entirely handwritten by and signed by him. Fold mark causing slight erasure of words. Good condition.
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