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1926 MEAH SHEARIM JERUSALEM RECEIPT SIGNED RABBI YOSEF GERSHON HOROWITZ MIZRACHI LEADER BRITISH MANDATE PALESTINE
An original and historically magnificent document from Jerusalem, British Mandate Palestine, 1926 — a beautifully printed receipt bearing the handwritten signature of Rabbi Yosef Gershon Horowitz, one of the most significant rabbinic figures in early 20th century Jerusalem and head of the legendary Meah Shearim Yeshiva and Talmud Torah.
The Document:
Institution: Jeshiwah Talmud Torah Meah Shearim, Jerusalem, Palestine
Date: 14 December 1926
Receipt No: 3362
Amount: £1/1/0 — One Pound One Shilling
Donor: S. Stinberg of Boksburg-North, South Africa — via Cooper
Languages: English, Yiddish and Hebrew — trilingual
Format: Large ornate printed receipt with engraved illustration of the Meah Shearim building
Official stamp: Jeshiwa Talmud Torah & Beta Tawschei Mea-Shearim
Signed: Multiple trustee signatures including Rabbi Yosef Gershon Horowitz
Rabbi Yosef Gershon Horowitz:
The signature on this document belongs to one of the most remarkable rabbinic figures of early 20th century Jerusalem. As Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) of the Yeshiva Gedolah of Meah Shearim and one of the leaders of the Mizrachi religious Zionist movement, Rabbi Horowitz was a towering and controversial figure — a Jerusalem rabbi who actively encouraged his students to become farmers and help build the Jewish homeland, and who supported cooperation with the forerunner institutions of what would become the State of Israel.
His signature on a document dated December 1926 captures him at the height of his influence — leading Jerusalem\'s most important yeshiva during the British Mandate period, navigating the complex political currents that would shape the future Jewish state.
The South African Connection:
The donor — S. Stinberg of Boksburg-North, South Africa — adds a remarkable global dimension to this document. In 1926 South African Jews were among the most generous supporters of Jerusalem institutions, sending funds across the world to sustain Torah education in the Holy Land. This receipt documents that extraordinary chain of solidarity — from a Jewish community in Boksburg, South Africa to the ancient streets of Meah Shearim, Jerusalem.
The Historical Moment:
December 1926 — the British Mandate was in full force, Jerusalem was being rebuilt, and the foundations of the future State of Israel were being laid institution by institution, donation by donation. The Meah Shearim Yeshiva — whose magnificent building is engraved on this very receipt — was one of the cornerstones of that world.
The accompanying membership document outlines the extraordinary benefits offered to donors — including prayers at the Western Wall, at Rachel\'s Tomb, at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, and perpetual Kaddish prayers after death — a complete picture of how Jerusalem\'s Torah institutions sustained themselves through worldwide Jewish philanthropy.
Condition: Very good — complete, crisp and clean with vivid colors intact after 100 years.
English Keywords:
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Hebrew Keywords:
