Long letter in Yiddish in which the author expresses his strong desire to immigrate to Israel, signed by hand by the Admor of Skolen, Rabbi Eliezer Zussya Portugal. New York, 1961

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Letter in Yiddish signed by the Admor of Skulen, referring to the possibility of immigrating to Israel, about a year after escaping the Iron Curtain.

He writes: “regarding immigration to Israel, I desire to see the Holy Land, but because of circumstances today, it is presently not possible.”

The letter also mentions his wife’s health, and mentions someone named Moshe (who “has 8 children in health”). Probably one of the orphans raised by the rabbi over the years.

A typewritten letter with an additional handwritten line with blessings and a signature.

18x30cm. Creases, good condition.

Admor Rabbi Eliezer Zussya Portugal of Sklun (1898-1982) was the first Admor of Skulen, founder of the Chesed L’Avraham orphanages, who worked to free Jews imprisoned by the Soviets and tirelessly to help the rehabilitation of Holocaust survivors, especially in Romania. When he was only 17 he was made Rabbi of Skulen in place of his father, and after around 20 years he moved to Chernowitz, where, after World War II, he worked to save Jews, particularly by helping orphans who had been saved. His house became an orphanage where hundreds of orphaned children lived, and some of their registration documents even state that they are his biological children.

After the situation of the Jews of the city of Chernowitz became aggravated due to the persecution of the Bolsheviks, Rabbeinu sent the orphaned children to the city of Bucharest in Romania. The Communists continued to persecute him because of his activities, but he continued his actions without fear until after he was imprisoned again with his son – the Admor Rabbi Yisrael Avraham, on the 1st of Nisan, 1959, when his activities were stopped. He and his son were imprisoned separately for five months. On the eve of Shabbat ‘Nachmu’ they were released, but had to sit in jail for a few more days because they did not want to desecrate the Shabbat. In 1960, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, he succeeded in crossing the borders of Romania and immigrated to the United States, where he settled in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, founded a synagogue and continued to work to rescue Holocaust survivor Jews.

He became famous for his many melodies filled with Ahavas Hashem and filled with desire for geulah.

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