Auction 32

Historic, exciting, and previously unknown picture, the last known from his lifetime, of Rabbi Moshe Blau as he was being lowered from the boat onto the Italian coast—Sivan 1946.

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Start price: $150

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Rare photograph showing the Shadar Rabbi Moshe Blau, lying on a bed, being lowered from a vessel onto a small boat to the hospital in Messina (Italy). 8.5x6cm, overall good condition.

Background: On 3rd of Sivan, 1946, a ship departed from Israel and its destination was the United States. Among the passengers were four Haredi figures, who were a small “delegation” for the planned meeting of Agudas Yisrael. Leading the delegation was the leader of Agudas Yisrael, Rabbi Moshe Blau, along with Rabbi Meir Karlitz (brother of the Chazon Ish); Rahatz Rabbi Yisrael Halberstam (brother of Rabbi Sinai of Zhamigrad); and Mr. Yaakov Landau of Tel Aviv. On the night of Shavuot Rabbi Moshe began to feel ill, and only a few hours passed before he became deathly ill. Doctors on the boat checked him and did not give a good prognosis, recommending that the ship speed for the Italian coast and drop him off at a hospital. Rabbi Moshe was quickly taken from the boat but he passed away in the hospital. The story is told that he asked as he was being lowered to be buried in Israel.