Important letter by the Gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky to Rabbi Hilel Medalie of leeds.
Jerusalem, 1964.
"As a loyal friend, I find it my duty to inform him what I heard about the matter of the Chief Rabbinate in Hadera.
Although after my testimony, which I sent the religious council of Hadera, the council firmly holds the opinion you my friend is the rabbi of Hadera. However, the municipal administration seems to have some delays, which need to be thoroughly clarified before you leave your current position in Leeds."
Indeed Rabbi Hillel remained in Leeds and was appointed as the Av Beit Din in Antwerp in 1965 until his passing in 1977.
The Ga’on Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky [1886-1976] studied in his youth at the Novardok Yeshiva where he was close to the "Alter of Novardok" and at his request he even studied with his sons. At the age of 17 he was ordained by the city’s rabbi, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, author of Aruch Ha-Shulchan. He then studied at the Telz Yeshiva. He also studied at the Ramiles Yeshiva and in the "Kibbutz" of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in Vilna, and under Rabbi Chaim of Brisk.
He served as Rabbi of Slutsk, Smalian and Smolbichi. In 1923, in Slutsk he replaced Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, who had to flee because of persecution by the Communist regime. In 1925 published the first part of his commentary on the Tosefta. At the beginning of the winter of 1932 he settled in London and began serving as rabbi of the Machzikei Hadat congregation, and in 1933 he was appointed Dayan at the Rabbinical Court in London and two years later as head of the city’s rabbinical court. During these years he continued with his great enterprise – the interpretation of the Tosefta – "Chazon Yehezkel". In 1951, he immigrated to Israel with his family and settled in the Beit Vagan neighborhood in Jerusalem, In it he continued his work and spreading his teachings. author of Chazon Yechezkel on the Tosefta & many other works.
Rabbi Hilel Medalie was born in Vitibsk, Russia, the son of the Chief Rabbi of Moscow who was arrested and executed by the Soviets in 1936. He was ordained a rabbi at the age of 20 and received a Master of Arts degree at Manchester University. Before World War II he served as cultural leader of the Young Israel Organization and Synagogue in Palestine. He served Chief Rabbi of Dublin from 1940-41 and was Chief Rabbi of Leeds from 1947-1964.
He served as leader of the Shomre-Hadass Congregation in Antwerp from 1965, died there at the age of 60 in 1977 after conducting Yom Kippur services.
28.1 Cm, Long.
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Lot #258