Recent Acquisitions at Mizrahi Bookstore, the libraries of Aaron Ben-Zion Shurin, Rabbi Ephraim F. Rubin, Jan (Yanek, Yohanan) Adler, Yosef Shmuel Steinmetz and Dr. Mordechai Hakohen

The library of Rabbi Aaron Ben-Zion Shurin 

Rabbi Shurin was a legendary writer and columnist, most known for his many decades as a columnist for the Jewish Forward. "The Forward, which was a daily from 1897 to 1983 (when it became a weekly), had enormous influence in the left-leaning Jewish world, and especially in New York, publishing such luminaries as Isaac Bashevis Singer and Elie Wiesel. Since 1983, it has had an English-language counterpart.

Throughout its history, The Forward was a Socialist, secular publication, and the presence of Rabbi Shurin, who is Orthodox, was something of an anomaly. His hiring reflected the feeling of the founding editor, Abraham Cahan, that the newspaper needed to speak to the religious Jews who flooded the United States in the 30's and 40's. "

Rabbi Shurin, who was in his 90s and of Lithuanian origin, represented the 36th consecutive generation of rabbis in his family. He began writing his column during the Holocaust and over the years has dealt with subjects as diverse as the lives of illustrious rabbis, the propriety of women sitting with men in synagogue, and the impact of court decisions on funds for yeshivas. Rabbi Shurin was the last surviving student of the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Europe. In addition, Rabbi Shurin taught at Stern College from 1966 until his retirement in 2001.

Rav Shurin received Rabbinical ordination from Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rav Yitzchok Isaac Halevi Herzog, Rav Reuven Katz of Petach Tikvah, and others.

The library containing aprox 2000 volumes, mostly in Hebrew included many classics as well as obscure works from the last century as well as a very strong showing of newspapers, from the 19th century through the WWII period, with many bound volumes of rare newspapers present. 

The library of Rabbi Ephraim F. Rubin 

Rabbi Ephraim F. Rubin was born in 1920 in the Batei Ungarin section of Jerusalem. He emigrated to the United States in 1934, and attended Yeshivot Torah V'Daas and Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan. He served as an expert mohel for over 50 years, and disseminated Torah in the Far Rockaway/ Lawrence community. Rabbi Rubin was not primarily an antiquarian collector of sefarim. His library consisted mainly of sefarim which he learned and taught from, Talmud, midrash, rishonim and halacha. He did, however, collect and enjoy sefarim connected with and about Eretz Yisrael, haggadot, and brit milah, his life's vocation. He passed away in 2014.

The library of Jan (Yanek, Yohanan) Adler

Jan (Yanek, Yohanan) Adler was born in Warsaw on April 6, 1932, where he lived at 19 Hoza Street with his older brother Kazik (later Ron) and parents Sofia and Maurizi ( Moshe). His grandparents lived on Twarda street in the Jewish quarter along with many members of his extended family, who all perished in the Holocaust. In 1939, during the first week of the war, Yanek, his parents and his brother managed to escape to Kovel (Ukraine) where they stayed with extended family. A few months later they were deported to Siberia where they spent a year freezing and starving until the Russians set them free in the summer of 1941. They traveled southwards to Uzbekistan, and there his brother Ron (who was 14 years old) was drafted to the Anders Army Cadet School (one of only 2 Jews), which was stationed in Palestine (now Israel). Yanek and his parents boarded the famous Children Of Teheran ship in 1943 and made Aliya to Israel. Yanek moved to New York in the 1960's, and lived in Queens, where he passed away in March 2016. He was an amateur historian, a translator and world travel expert, and spent every moment of free time with his beloved books. He was honored by the Polish government for his work in bringing together Polish Jews and non-Jews. You can watch Yanek tell his survival story in more detail in his own words in this video.

Yanek's brother, Dr. Ron Adler, was the Director of MAPI: Israel's Mapping Agency for 20 years and a professor at the Technion. He passed away in 2015.

1944 in Tel Aviv: Yanek, Maurizi, Zofia, and Ron Adler

One of his many bookcases in Queens 2010

School ID from Warsaw 1938-1939 (school year of 1939 never opened because of WWII...)

Summer of 1947, watching the Altalena burn in Tel Aviv

The library of Yosef Shmuel Steinmetz

The library of Yosef Shmuel Steinmetz, son of the legendary Melamed and Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, Rabbi Moshe Steinmetz , contained aprox. 5,000 volumes. The bulk of his collection are works of Hasidut, printed within the last 30 years. There are numerous works of Chabad, Satmar, Bobov, as well as nearly every other Hasidut present. There are endless different commentaries on the Haggadah, Avot, as well as numerous classic sets alongside many obscure works. Nearly every twig of every branch of Hasidut is presented.

Yosef Shmuel was known as a Talmid Chacham who cherished his books and spent any income he had on expanding his library, which he put to very good use. Many in the book community recall him as a friendly fixture at local sefarim stores in Boro Park near his home. In his library, all the Hasidic branches made peace, with books by the Satmar, Sadigura, Chabad and Sanz Rebbes all sharing the same shelves. 

 The library of Dr. Mordecai Hacohen

Dr. Mordecai Hacohen (1919-2008) was born in Vienna. A member of the Betar Youth Movement, he helped coordinate the clandestine immigration of thousands of Jews to Israel in the run-up to World War II. He went on to help establish the Israeli Foreign Service. A staunch Revisionist Zionist, he found himself thus ousted from Ben-Gurion's government, and wound his way to New York. Of his many extraordinary achievements during his career in New York, was his serving as the Director General of the Otzar Hatorah chain of schools, founded by Isaac Shalom. Tens of thousands of students studied Jewish and Vocational studies in Otzar Hatorah's schools throughout North Africa, the Middle East, France and Iran. His leadership of the organization greatly expanded the reach of this remarkable organization and his natural ability at fundraising helped keep it afloat. Dr Hacohen also served as Senior Vice President of Israel's Bank Leumi, where he was instrumental in promoting investment in Israeli companies. His memoir, Homeland: From Clandestine Immigration to Israeli Independence was published in 2008. 

 

Haggadot

It is that time of year again, and we welcome you to browse through our wide selection of Haggadot now available. Nearly 1,000 different Haggadot are available, with everything from Maxwell House Haggadot to rare 18th century illustrated masterpieces, there is something for everyone. Some highlights include a Haggadah printed on parchment, a Haggadah printed by the Dror Habonim in 1946 in Hungary, The Trieste Haggadah, 2 Yemenite Manuscript Haggadot, a Haggadah with translation to Marathi among much else. You can view the titles available here.