An important letter in the handwriting and signature of Harbin Rabbi the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kisilyav to the heads of Tianjin community in regarding the appointment of a rabbi to their community, as well as the lack of strong rabbis in the Far East, and strengthening in shmirat HaMitzvot. Harbin, early 1930s.
In his letter, the genius congratulates the community for being educated to understand that it needs a rabbi to head it and manage all its spiritual affairs, and expresses its sorrow on the fact that in the cities of the Far East there are not enough appropriate rabbis to head the congregation of Israel, therefore, they will ask a rabbi from Lithuania or Poland for a salary. He further warns that he has heard that their community does not have kosher beef, and many fail to eat prohibited meat. and asks that they obtain a kosher Jewish cook who will sell only kosher meat and adds: "In my opinion this is the first step to keeping our religious laws which you must do even more before you find a rabbi for your community".
In the city of Harbin in China, there was a small Jewish community, established on the eve of the First World War, by Russians. The first and last rabbi of the community was Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kisilov [1866-1949], a Lubavitcher Chassid and a disciple of the "Great of Minsk" and Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik. Rabbi Aharon Moshe came to Harbin in 1913, after serving for many years in the rabbinate of Borisov in the Minsk region. In 1937, he was elected chief rabbi of all the communities in the Far East. During the conquest of the city from Japanese rule to Chinese rule, and the establishment of communist rule in China, the Hebrew community in Harbin was abolished.
[1] Official stationery leaf. 29x23 cm. Filing holes. Folding marks, good condition.
