Rare Large Broadside on Behalf of the Poor‭ - ‬Jerusalem‭, ‬C.1864

Proclamation on behalf of the poor of Israel who originated from Austria, Moravia and Hungary. Jerusalem, [Yechiel Brill, Michel HaCohen and Yoel Moshe Solomon press]. [1864?]. [1] leaf, 31 x 40 cm.

This large broadside describes the state of poverty and hunger prevailing in Jerusalem, particularly for those of Austro-Hungarian origin, in contrast to the Kollel Perushim (which had split into a few branches), which had ten times as much income as the Kollel Ungarin. Very likely this friction between the Kollelim was one of the primary reasons for the formation in 1866 of the Joint Committee of Kollelim, which oversaw all the Ashkenazi Kollelim.

This broadside was printed with a floral border, the upper section rounded, and with scriptural verses. Part of the poster was printed in gold ink. The proclamation opens with the words: “For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His Presence” and words of our sages about the greatness of the mitzvah of charity, particularly for the poor of Israel. A rare broadside: Shoshana HaLevi lists this proclamation as no. 102 in her Sifrei Yerushalayim HaRishonim, based on a photograph she saw in “LeSha’ah U’leDorot.” See also no. 101 in her work, another proclamation on behalf of Kollel Ungarin, worded more diplomatically. It is possible that the copies of this particular proclamation were subsequently destroyed due to rather harsh wording.