Lot of documents. Typed letters on the stationery of the "Merkaz HaLishchot shel Agudat Achva HaOlamit Yerushalayim." They include much mysterious content regarding the secret Achva Association, from its nascent beginning. 1948/1949. Signatures of Rabbi Avraham Chaim Shaag-Zwebner and a booklet of "Bitachon Achva'i Achrayut Chaim Hadadit Bitoch Agudat Achvah." Fold marks and light stains, solitary tears, generally in fine condition.
Background: The World Achva Association was a secret, religious association established in 1895, with the goal of mutual assistance and practical fulfillment of the mitzvah of loving your neighbor as yourself. At the time, there was much hate and jealousy in the Jewish yishuv between the different factions and their supporters. The first group of the Achva Association was founded in Jerusalem with the goal of uniting the Jewish Nation, improving the morals of the nation and helping the needy. The association hoped to help its financially weaker members. The help included assistance finding a job and giving credit. The association was founded according to the following principles: 1. The Jewish Nation living in its homeland, according to the oral and written Torah, in a way of peace and truth. 2. Educating the boys and girls per the spirit of the Torah and with unity. This would be accomplished through: 1. All members of the association would be loyal brothers who would help each other in spiritual and material aspects. 2. Promoting the ideas of unity by founding additional groups in every possible place." The groups would be financially and organizationally independent and their administrators would be elected by the members of that individual group through democratic elections. Each active group would have a nasi and president. The larger groups would also have a secretary and the even larger groups would have a council. The presidents and nesi'im of all the Achva groups would be members of the international council and the nesi'im would be members of the executive committee of the World Achva Association. The executive committee would choose through democratic elections five members of the administration, the International Nasi and the International president. The association was established in a secret style in order that the members of the Yishuv HaYashan would not oppose it. Despite the later, sharp opposition, the association received the approbation of a number of gedolei Yisroel, such as Rabbi Shmuel Salant, the Maharil Diskin and others.
