Letter from Leon M. Keller of the VAAD Hatzala Rehabilitation Committee to Rabbi Eliezer Silver regarding a possible event to honor the work of the VAAD Hatzala and to raise funds therefor

1957

caption:
The text of the letter is in Yiddish on the New York City letterhead of the VAAD Hatzala Rehabilitation Committee, which was located at 132 Nassau Street.
 

Monday Parshas Ki Sisa 1957
 
For the honor of the great Rabbi Eliezer Silver Cincinnati, Ohio
Peace and blessing on you!
          
                        Today Rabbi Weitchik from Baltimore was in the office.  From his words it seems that no preparation was done yet to start the collection but he did advise us the time that it would be ready to start and the following is what we should do to push the start of the work:
 
  #1 first of all we have to know clear what is the work of the Vaad Hatzolah
 
   #2 someone has to (and that person can be me)to tell us when should be the time of the gathering and to this gathering an honorable Rabbi should come and he [e.n. Rabbi Weitchik] proposed that maybe it should be Rabbi Rif and maybe with his son or a different rabbi.
 
    #3 By this gathering we have to tell them the curriculum of our organization and the important thing is that the rabbis should get a nice amount of money from their congregation.
 
     #4 we should discuss the journal of the Vaad Hatzolah  and we should put in there the names of the people who donate with special pages ex. gold page, silver page.
 
    #5 at the end of the collection or appeal for money there should be a banquet from all the people involved both new and old and your honor [e.n. Rabbi Silver] should go to the banquet.
 
      On all the letters that our table received we only got one answer from a rabbi to travel-Rabbi Yallas-and I am combining it with this letter.
 
           The master Menashe Stein agrees to serve as a member of the hanhala but he does not want to work.
 
            In regards to the journal it is very important to do what is usually done in the world.  To choose a committee to visit with the special donors.  To prepare special stationary for this and to call it a name in English and to tell the prices of the pages of the donors.
 
             I am sending this letter with special delivery airmail and your honor should please also send it back this way.
 
             I received your letter of protest and thanks for the past and for the future!
  
               Meir Lieber Keller
               Leon M. Keller
 
p.s. if the Rov gets a chance to call Rabbi Rif and his son