(AMERICAN JUDAICA).

These volumes concern the bitter polemic between R. Jacob David Wilovsky (the Ridva”z) and R. Tzvi Shimon Album over the seemingly lax state of Kosher supervision in Chicago. Divrei Emeth is Rabbi Album’s defense and counter-attack, especially against the Ridva”z’s personal attacks recorded in his earlier work Nimukei Ridva”z in which he questioned R. Album’s rabbinic credentials. Album (original name Katzenellenbogen), an alumnus of the famed Volozhin Yeshivah, asserts here that his family pedigree dates back to the Mahara”l of Prague and therefore the Ridva”z’s comments directly impugn the majesty of such Torah greats! He states “the fingernails of my holy forbearers are more exalted than the entire body of the Ridva”z who publicly insulted them. “As for the Ridva”z’s accusations, Album published a facsimile of a document, endorsed by the Ridva”z on his personal stationary, that would seemingly exonerate Album over the Kashruth matter (see pp. 50-51). In Volume II Album continues his attack suggesting that the Ridva”z was certifying non-Kosher wine as fit for Passover and supervising a bakery that was open on the Sabbath. He responds vehemently to the introduction in Beth Ridva”z and responsa no. 28 where the Ridva”z refers to Album as “Satan.” The Ridva”z served as rabbi of a number of cities in Russia, most notably Slutzk where he established a yeshiva with R. Isser Zalman Meltzer at its helm. In 1903 Willowsky traveled to America in order to finance the publication of his commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud, whereupon he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Chicago. The Nimukei Ridva”z, contains an important introduction pertaining to the history of Kashruth supervision in Chicago, in which the author castigated against the overseeing rabbis - and the overall state of Jewish practice and education in America. Rabbi Album, who was targeted by these allegations issued the two volumes of his polemical work “Divrei Emeth” seeking to prove that the Ridva”z was himself guilty of the self-same charge of Kashruth supervision improprieties. According to Goldman, Album’s work “is an invaluable source on Kashruth supervision… in America and contains numerous primary sources (in facsimile) relating to the controversies between Album and Willowsky.”