Large Collection: "File of Sima Belilos's Will"

Large Collection: "File of Sima Belilos's Will"

Background: There was a wealthy family who lived in Hong Kong, having moved there from Baghdad: The Belilos family. The family's wealth was so great that the patriarch of the family was appointed a minister in the Chinese government. After he passed away, his wife inherited his assets. In 1883, Mrs. Sima Belilos left in her will a tremendous sum of more than 80,000 Palestine pounds for the "main Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem" for the city's poor. However, she did not realize that such a non-specific description of the synagogue was most problematic. A legal battle broke out between the Ashkenazic Churvah synagogue and the Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai Sephardic synagogue as to which one earned the title "the main synagogue." That year, there were two chief rabbis, the Ashkenazic chief rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, who took the side of the Churvah, and the Rishon LeTziyon, Rabbi Ya'akov Meir, who supported the Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai synagogue with the claim that it is older, and that it is the location of the appointment of the Rishon LeTziyon. On the other side, the representatives of the Churvah claimed that their synagogue was more elegant and more central to the needs of the city. The trial reached the court in Hong Kong, but to no avail, due to their lack of knowledge and understanding of the differences between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim. The case returned to Jerusalem, where the Sephardim claimed that the woman who bequeathed the funds belonged to the the Sephardic community, so that it is natural that her intent was to leave her funds to the main synagogue of her community, where she had sent contributions while she was still alive. They added another important point: In her instructions, she clearly intended the Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai synagogue, which was known in Laniado as "El Kal Grande" which means "The Large Congregation."

In the end, they reached several compromises: The funds would be transferred to the Sephardic committee, and the chairman of the fund would be the Rishon LeTziyon. They would buy several homes to rent. The income would be divided 25% for the Ashkenazim and 75% for the Sephardim, who would distribute these funds to the needy of their communities, and the two "main" synagogues would honor the donor's memory. As such, several homes were bought in the Zichron Moshe and Rechaviah neighborhoods. In this way, they ostensibly came to a compromise. However, it seems that the Va'adah HaSepharadit stopped transferring the Ahkenazim's share to them. 

A similar conflict arose with respect to the legacy of Raphael Aharon Gabbay for the institutions in Jerusalem, and the dispute repeated. Several documents from this dispute are included here as well.

This lot includes over 100 certificates and documents that shed light on the complications of this conflict: The file with the claims of both sides, and certificates from the chief rabbis from the beginning of the conflict through 1955. Letters from the advocates for both sides. Booklets of reports of assemblies, agreements between the communities, a list of institutions and kollels that received funds from the estate. Documentation of an internal conflict within the Churvah's administration.

Overall fine condition.