Interesting letter by controversial Rabbi Joseph Shapotshnick of London for Sale

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Interesting letter by controversial Rabbi Joseph Shapotshnick of London For Sale

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Interesting letter by controversial Rabbi Joseph Shapotshnick of London:
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Rabbi Joseph Shapotshnick (Yiddish: יוסף 1882–1937) was a Jewish social activist in early-20th century London.

Biography Shapotshnick was born in Kishinev. Shapotshnick's father, Yehuda Leib Shapotshnick, was a Hasidic leader in Kishinev, known as the Belsitzer Rebbe. After his death in 1896, the young Shapotshnick and his mother moved to Odessa, where he studied at the local university and under Dayan Abraham Joel Abelson.

Shapotshnick moved to the East End of London in 1913; from then until his death, he was embroiled in numerous controversies, both within and beyond the Anglo-Jewish community.

A prolific author of numerous self-published books, pamphlets,newspapers and journals, Shapotshnick published in 1908 an 80-page treatise on the kabbalistic meanings of the name of God, entitled"Kedushas H-Shem".

His most famous publication, "Shass ha-gadolshe-bi-gedolim," was published in 1919. It consisted of one volume of the Talmud—tractate Berakhot—and was the largest rabbinic book ever published.

Shapotshnick was regarded as a miracle worker, reportedly curing a number of sick people,Jews and non-Jews. In 1928, he attracted headlines by sending an herbal remedy to King George V.

He gave two-thirds of his income to charity.

The Agunot scandal From the mid-1920s, Shapotshnick offered to help agunot — women whose inability to gain a Jewish divorce meant that they could not remarry — to find ways of resolving their problems. It is not clear whether any of the women he helped ever remarried, but there were serious concerns that his dispensations for them to do so were faulty, potentially meaning that their offspring from a second marriage would be considered mamzerim (bastards) under Jewish ritual law. In 1927, the head of the London bet din, Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchak Hillman sought help from the Chofetz Chaim andother prominent rabbis to stop Shapotshnick from issuing spurious dispensations. In the ensuing controversy, it was discovered that Shapotshnick had falsely added the names of various colleagues to dispensations, effectively forging their support without consent. Those rabbis disassociated themselves from him publicly by writing to the Yiddish press in London and urging the publication of their letters of condemnation. In late 1928, the rabbinical association of Poland published a booklet containing 600 signatures of rabbis condemning Shapotshnick and his activities. He was declared bankrupt inNovember 1932.

Other activities Shapotshnick was a persistent critic of the Anglo-Jewish establishment's mistreatment of the poor immigrants who lived mainly in the East End. He criticised the lack of interest in the welfare and education of immigrant Jews, and at various times set up his owneducational establishments, and more controversially, his own kosher supervision authority. In the spring of 1937, itwas discovered that 8 of the 11 butcher shops under his supervision wereselling 'kosher' meat bought from non-Jewish wholesalers. One of the butcherswas taken to court for the crime of misrepresentation and was eventuallyconvicted and fined. Shapotshnick died quite suddenly during the trial and wasnever questioned in court about his role, although it was widely suspected thathe was out of his depth rather than maliciously negligent. He was sufficiently respected inofficial circles to be invited to an official reception at Lancaster House in honour of the International Congressof Faiths.[2] Shapotshnick's funeral Shapotshnick died suddenly onThursday, 21 October 1937 in London, England. At first no one would agree to bury himbecause of his controversial reputation. Eventually, the newly establishedAdath Yisrael community agreed to inter him at their Enfield cemetery, afterthe imposition of various conditions on his only son, Levi. Shapotshnick's funeral took place onMonday, 25 October 1937. Despite the pouring rain, 5,000 people attended hisfuneral. The crowd was almost exclusively drawn from the common folk of theEast End Jewish community, who were mostly unaffected by his controversialepisodes, but who saw him as a fighter for their cause and a charismaticreligious leader.