Large archive composed of hundreds of handwritten leaves, letters, receipts and various paper items (ephemera), from the home of the Rebbe of Spinka-Zhydachiv Rebbe Alter Eliezer Kahane. Jerusalem, c. 1950-1980.
* Letters and letter-drafts in his handwriting. Among the letters is a long draft of a letter written at the end of the month of Av 1963, to one of the rebbes who shows him the way "the light of our lives" [apparently, referring to the Vizhnitz Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager, author of Imrei Chaim]. The letter is filled with his strong yearning to serve G-d "to pour my prayers before the rebbe to remember me in his heart…that from those holy days, a spark of holiness arose in me to enable me to accept upon myself…good and beneficial things for G-d's service…truly and completely with desire and warmth…so that I will be able to become close to holiness…to draw fistfuls of holiness"]. * Letters of inspiration to his friends and disciples. * Letter to the principal of the Talmud Torah opposing striking students. * Etc.
* Inscriptions of halachic and Chassidic Torah novellae: Long halachic responsa on the subjects of impurity of Cohanim, the holiness of Torah scrolls, etc. * Halachic Responsum written to Rabbi C.Y.L. Deitsch from the USA, in the name of Rabbi Yisrael Weltz. * Notebooks and inscriptions of Chassidic thoughts [heard from Rebbe Yochanan of Karlin-Stolin from 1950-1955]. * Stories on Rebbe Itzik'l [of Pashworsk]. * Inscriptions of gimatriyot and compilations of Chassidic thoughts. * Program of songs and prayers for Seudat Shlishit. * Musical notes for melodies he composed. * Inscriptions of the inner structure of Ma'arat HaMachpela and the walls of the Old City. * Special Kabbalistic prayer to recite after saying the Book of Psalms twice. * Inscriptions of various sermons and eulogies delivered in public. * More than 100 notes of sources and summaries of halachic responsa (some were written during his work at Otzar HaPoskim). * Calendars (the journal for 1964 is of particular interest, with inscriptions of matters concerning Spinka Chassidism, public issues and personal matters). * Letters and a receipt book of the yeshiva payments of the Pirchei Kehuna Yeshiva for study of Seder Kodshim by Cohanim - Torah scholars. [Among the signatures of recipients of yeshiva payments: his father Rebbe Yosef Meir Kahane the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Mendel Cohen Gutstein, Rabbi Shmuel HaCohen Rosenfeld, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Kahane, Rabbi Refael Cohen, Rabbi Ya'akov Roth, Rabbi Naftali Ehrentrau, etc.].
* Receipts, letters, proclamation and newspaper clippings, ephemera: Signed documents (a document signed by his brother Rebbe Mordechai David Kahane). * Various paper items concerning Spinka Chassidism and their family matters. * Wedding and other invitations. * New Year cards. * Hundreds of signed handwritten receipts, printed receipts and lottery tickets, of various charity institutes (some amounts were given according to certain gematriyot. For example: 10.99 lirot for the elevation of a soul "like the count (gematriya) of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, Yechida, etc.). * Notebook from 1958 of the Spinka Tehillim Society, with name of the children and lists of the prizes they received. * Marks of excellence and student's paperwork. * Labels for bottles of "Karlin- Lelów Wine - of the large wineries: Sheni-L'Zion and Zichron Moshe…Hausman…". * Proclamations of events and of polemics. * Newspapers and pamphlets - some with interesting inscriptions in his handwriting. * Cards of book orders at the Israel National Library, completed by hand. * Entrance tickets to the Succot Pele exhibitions and to various travel tickets. * Food ration slips, means of payment and travel tickets, receipts and authorizations, medical authorizations, salary slips, notebooks of deposits and loans of the Tiferet Shmuel free loan society, family paperwork, envelopes and postal stamps, various papers.
The Spinka-Zhydachiv Rebbe, Alter Eliezer Kahane (1937-2009), a renowned outstanding Torah scholar, known for his prayers and his holy demeanor in serving G-d and for his love for his fellow man. A learned scholar and Torah authority, also erudite in Kabbalah and knowledgeable in many areas (archeology, music, history, etc.). Among other activities, he wrote and edited halachic, Chassidic and other books. He compiled and edited many topics in his work for Otzar HaPoskim. He also headed a kollel for young men and managed the Shomrei HaChomot free loan society. He corresponded on halachic matters with many rabbis. A man with a Torah outlook, [he wrote articles on Zionism and haskalah], close to the Neturei Karta circles and Satmar Chassidim, yet open to other opinions within Charedi circles. He gave charity generously to individuals and to public institutes of all affiliations and dealt in loaning funds to those in need.
His father - Rebbe Yosef Meir Kahane of Spinka-Jerusalem (1909-1978), son of Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Kahane Av Beit Din of Spinka and son-in-law of Rebbe Yitzchak Teitelbaum of Gusakov (Husakiv). Rebbe of Ungvar and from 1936, Rabbi and head of yeshiva in Seredneye. In 1941, he and his family ascended to Eretz Israel and he opened the Imrei Yosef Yeshiva and his Beit Midrash.
Approximately 1000 paper items, varied size and condition.