Passport and new picture of the Telsher Rov
There are only a few extant pictures of Maran Rosh HaYeshivah of Telshe, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch Hy”d, who was killed al kiddush Hashem at the head of the Telshe yeshivah and community on the 20th of Tammuz 1941. The collection of rare documents includes the Lithuanian passport of Maran Rosh HaYeshivah, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch Hy”d and his wife Hy”d.
The picture in this Lithuanian passport depicts the Rosh HaYeshivah Hy”d when he was relatively young. The passport lists his last name as “Blocha,” notes that he is employed as a “teacher” in Lithuania and was born in 1890. The passport was issued in 1922. His signature appears underneath the picture.
“Gift for the talmid Ezriel Rabinowitz”
A rare letter discovered in the archive was presented together with a prize to a Rebbe in the yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Ezriel Rabinowitz Hy”d, when he was a bachur in the yeshivah in 1916. The prize was given “for his distinction throughout the summer of 1916.” The young Ezriel Rabinowitz Hy”d, who later served as rebbe in the yeshivah, was known for his genius. He was the son of Maran Rosh HaYeshivah Rav Chaim Telzer zy”a, and he took over his father’s position after his death in 1931. Rav Ezriel was killed al kiddush Hashem on the 20th of Tammuz, together with the entire Telshe yeshivah Hy”d.
The letter and prize were gifted by the “Vaad L’inyanei HaMorim V’HaTalmidim B’Yeshivah” and its stamp is embossed on the page.
The letter mentions the “mechinah program.” Though the official “mechinah” wasn’t established until 1920, there was some type of “mechinah” prior to its official establishment for younger students in the yeshivah who learned with the older bachurim.
Three members of the mechinah committee signed on the letter. The only identified signature is that of Rav Chaim Mordechai Katz zy”a, who escaped the fate of the Telshe yeshiva in Europe. He established the continuation of Telshe in Cleveland, but his family was killed al kiddush Hashem in Telshe.
Shulchan Aruch of Rav Chaim Telzer zt”l
The Shulchan Aruch of Rav Chaim Telzer zt”l survived the war. His signature appears on the front flyleaf: חיים בהרי”מ ז”ל ראבינאוויץ. ר”מ בישיבה הקד’ דטעלז.
Shiurim on Maseches Bava Kama from HaGaon HaRav Yosef Leib Bloch zt”l and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Rabinowitz zt”l
Compilation of shiurim written by yeshivah talmidim
Rare booklet published by the Telshe yeshivah in 1937 (a few short years before the war). Apparently compiled by the “Vaad L’Ktivas Shiurim.” Includes shiurim on Maseches Bava Kama by HaGaon HaRav Yosef Leib Bloch zt”l and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Rabinowitz zt”l.
The text on the title page is illustrated and decorated by hand, topped by a picture of the luchos.
There are two editions of shiurim in the booklet. It seems that in 1937, the yeshivah learned Bava Kama, and this compilation of shiurim includes copies of shiurim from previous times when the yeshivah learned the masechta, as is indicated by the fact that one shiur ends with the words עכ”ל הגר”ח שליט”א.
The index of the shiurim at the end of the booklet indicates the large scope of topics discussed in the shiurim, demonstrating the tremendous amount of material covered in yeshivos at the time.
This compilation includes shiurim from daf 2 through daf 49.
Fascinatingly, the index includes a special shiur given on the Ketzos HaChoshen, siman 1, regarding modeh b’knass. As known, since Yeshivas Telshe was founded during the time of Maran HaGaon HaRav Gordon zt”l, the study of Ketzos, Nesivos and Gedolei Achronim was widespread, a novelty in Lithuanian yeshivahs. This listing indicates how deeply the learning of the Ketzos was entrenched in the yeshivah.
Chiddushim on Bava Basra from HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Meir Bloch zt”l
Surviving booklet of chiddushim and shiurim on Maseches Bava Basra, handwritten by Maran HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, written in his youth, during the winter of 1931, three years after he was appointed Rebbe in Telshe, and in 1928, when he was 34 years old.
This booklet remained in Lithuania and was never printed.
עזרת תורה
Ezras Torah
אוצר הספרים של טעלז
The Telshe Library
The Ezras Torah library in Yeshivas Telshe contained thousands of sefarim that were collected over the years and donated to the yeshiva. The Ezras Torah collection was in the yeshivah beis medrash, but somewhere else in the yeshivah building.
