Historical Letter by the Rabbis of 'Etz Chaim' about Their Agreement to Teach Arabic in the Talmud Torah according ...

Historical Letter by the Rabbis of 'Etz Chaim' about Their Agreement to Teach Arabic in the Talmud Torah according to Montefiore's Plan – Polemic – [1878]

A letter written by the managers and leaders of the Etz Chaim Talmud Torah and yeshiva to Rabbi Simhc Bonem Sofer Av Beit Din of Pressburg, author of 'Shevet Sofer', the son of the 'Ketav Sofer'.

In the letter, the rabbis of Etz Chaim write about Montefiore's generosity, who donated a sum of money to hire pious teachers to teach the students of the Talmud Torah Arabic, which was common in the Land of Israel, those students who "are incapable of studying Torah" so they will be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor after graduating the Talmud Torah.

The idea was supported by the rabbis of Jerusalem; the members of Kollel Ungarin, however, objected to it and state that they will not send their sons to the Talmud Torah.

The addressee, the 'Shevet Sofer', was actually one of the figures behind the existence of Kollel Ungarin of Jerusalem, and thus the letter to him. The writers note that Montefiore's original idea never came to pass but the issue had caused controversy in Jerusalem and they appeal to the 'Shevet Sofer' to "save the honor of Jerusalem from the hands of its desecraters".

It is interesting that the rabbis of Etz Chaim accepted Montefiore's idea although they had signed, in 1873, the ban against teaching foreign languages in the Talmud Torah.

Much was written about the polemic of teaching Arabic in Etz Chaim in the contemporary newspapers and special pamphlets as well as current research literature. Before us is an original document of the rabbis of Etz Chaim recounting the affair (more about this affair, see: "The Education Polemic in the Old Yishuv" (Hebrew), in: Shana BeShana, 1966).

The letter is written in fine script. Appearing on its margins is a torn signature, apparently the signature of Rabbi Moshe Nechemya Kahanov, the head of the Etz Chaim Talmud Torah.

Lack in the lower part of the document with an omission of several words and most of the signature.