Letter from Rabbi Nattan Bamberger, Rabbi of Wurzburg, 1912

Letter from Rabbi Nattan Bamberger, Rabbi of Wurzburg, 1912

Letter written and signed by Rabbi Nosson Bamberger. 24th of October, 1912. Letterhead, German.

Rabbi Nattan Bamberger [1842-1919] was the Chief Rabbi of Wurzburg and Bavaria, Germany. He was the son of Rabbi Yitzchak Dov Bamberger, prominent German rabbi of the 19th century [known for his controversy with Rabbi Samson Refael Hirsch regarding separating the Orthodox communities]. After his father's death in 1879, he served as rabbi of the city and the head of the teacher's seminary. In 1886, the government officially recognized him as Chief Rabbi of Wurzburg, after many unsuccessful attempts by the Reformers to remove him from his role. He was noted for his many activities on behalf of the Jews of the Land of Israel and he was in close personal contact with Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and HaRayah Kook. [Rabbi Bamberger was the one who had Rabbi Kook removed from prison during the First World War and hosted him until he moved to Switzerland.] During his years in the rabbinate, he collected large sums of money for the prominent institutions in the Land of Israel. He was at the forefront of the disagreements between his community and the Reformers regarding various halachic subjects including burying people who had expressed interest in cremation, stunning animals before shechitah, making preconditions for kiddushin, and more. He authored Likutei HaLevi and Pekudat HaLeviim. He purchased many Torah works, and it is estimated that he had the largest Torah library in Germany at the time.

[2] leaves. 14x23 cm. Filing holes. Very fine condition.