(Of Greidetz (Graetz), 1795-1874). Autograph Letter Signed, written in Hebrew to Zev Hertzfeld and leaders of the community of Neustrelitz, Germany.

GUTTMACHER, ELIYAHU

12th Ellul

Greidetz (Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland)

1865

Concerning the community’s recent donation of 40 Reichsthaler to benefit the Jewish community of Jerusalem suffering an outbreak of cholera.

One of the outstanding disciples of R. Akiva Eger, R. Eliyahu Gutmacher was widely sought after as a “miracle worker.” Together with R. Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer he was one of the forerunners of the Chibat Tzion movement. The present letter concerns an emergency appeal that R. Guttmacher made on behalf of the community in Jerusalem, due to an outbreak of cholera there in the summer and fall of 1865. He refers to a letter he recently published in HaMagid (identified as the letter in vol. 9, no. 34, p. 266-7, of August 30, 1865 - https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/mgd/1865/08/30/01/article/4). See also: Elli Fischer, “Rov in a Time of Cholera” (Jewish Review of Books, March 2020): https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/6892/rov-in-a-time-of-cholera/.