A Historical Letter from the Rabbis of "Etz Chaim" Regarding Their Agreement for the Arabic Language to Be Taught ...

A Historical Letter from the Rabbis of "Etz Chaim" Regarding Their Agreement for the Arabic Language to Be Taught in the Talmud Torah According to Montefiore's Plan - Controversy - 1878
A letter which was written by the gabbai and the principals of the Talmud Torah and Yeshiva Etz Chaim in Jerusalem to the important members of the Vilna community: Tzvi Berger, Asher Bing and Moshe Leib Hacohen.
In the letter the rabbis of Etz Chaim write about the generosity of "the righteous prince Sir Moshe Montefiore", who donated a sum of money to hire G-d fearing teachers to teach the students of the Talmud Torah the Arabic language which is spoken in Israel, "so that they will be able, after they leave the Talmud Torah to enjoy the fruits of their labor". Montefiore's dream was to minimize the Chaluka as much as possible, and thereby to minimize the poverty that was rampant in Jerusalem. The rabbanim of Etz Chaim recognize that there are students who will need to leave the yeshiva world, and will need to support themselves with their own labors, and the Arabic language will help them in this, and all of this is "with the agreement and the desire of the great rabbis of Jerusalem".
Even though this was done with the agreement of the rabbis of Jerusalem, some members of Kollel Ungarin "were zealous for lies and trickery, and they said they would strike anyone who will assist this matter". Because of their opposition, the rabbis of Etz Chaim agreed to give up on the program, however the members of Kollel Ungarin declared a ban on sending their children to Talmud Torah, and the teachers from their kollel were told to leave their work at the Talmud Torah. The rabbis of Etz Chaim describe their great sorrow, and end: "Ay! On the breaking of our nations house! Oy! On Jerusalem's lot!".
The writers mention that Montefiore's original plan did not come to fruition. "We informed them that we will not give any more place to the deisre of the righteous prince, and we sent the money back to him". In any case, a rift had already been caused in Jerusalem, and they are requesting from the heads of the Vilna community "to punish the sinners and rebels, with the words of their mouths, in order to save the honor of Israel".
It is interesting that the rabbis of Etz Chaim, led by Rabbi Moshe Nechemiah Cohanav, the rabbi of Chaslewicz, agreed to Montefiore's idea, even though they signed in 1873 on the ban against learning foreign languages in the Talmud Torah.
Much was written in that period about the controversy of learning Arabic in Etz Chaim, in newspapers and special booklets, as well as in modern research literature. Before us is an original document in which the rabbis of Etz Chaim retell the entire episode from the beginning to the end (for more on this episode see: "Pulmus HaChinuch B'Yishuv HaYashan", in Shana B'Shana 1966).
The letter is written in pleasant handwriting. In the letter's margins is a torn signature: "----- here the holy city". The handwriting is identical to the handwriting of Rabbi Moshe Nechemiah Cohanav, the head of the Talmud Torah, who indeed was accustomed to sign after his name: "here the holy city". There are significant and interesting deletions in the body of the letter.
21x26cm.
Condition: Good. Underwent restoration. Cracks. Part of the bottom of the letter is missing, with a few words and most of the signature missing.