Rare Letter by Rabbi Kook Opposing Women's Suffrage to Be Auctioned
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
A rare, original letter by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, opposing women's suffrage and urging votes for religious candidates, will be auctioned in Bnei Brak on Thursday. The 1920 document, in the Rabbi's handwriting and signed, has a starting bid of $3,000. Its origins are unknown, continuing a trend of Rabbi Kook's writings surfacing from private collections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A 1920 letter by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook opposing women's suffrage is up for auction.
- The unique, signed document urges votes for religious representatives.
- The auction begins Thursday at 8:00 PM in Bnei Brak with a $3,000 starting bid.
- The letter's provenance is undisclosed, continuing a trend of private collections.
- Rabbi Kook was the first Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine and founded Mercaz HaRav.
A unique, original letter penned by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, is set to be auctioned on Thursday. The letter, written in 1920 ahead of the elections for the Constituent Assembly, urges voters to support religious representatives and expresses opposition to women's suffrage.
In the document, which includes Rabbi Kook's handwriting and signature, he wrote regarding the debate on women's right to vote and be elected: "We will not degrade the honor of women by getting them entangled in the complexities of political strife and its conflicts." He also emphasized the obligation to vote, stating, "Everyone must know that a sacred duty rests upon him to support with all his might our election and cast his vote in the ballot box."
The letter appears to be a draft intended for printing, with additional phrasing attempts found on the side. The auction is being managed by "Beit Hamikra Otzarot Yerushalayim" (Jerusalem Treasures Auction House) and was advertised by "BidSpirit," a portal for Israeli collectibles auctions.
The sale will take place in Bnei Brak at 8:00 PM, with a starting bid of $3,000. The provenance of the document has not been disclosed by the auction house. A decade-old investigation by "Kipa News" revealed that many of Rabbi Kook's writings remain in private hands, rather than being submitted to public or national archives, a phenomenon this newly surfaced document continues.
Rabbi Kook (1865-1935) also founded the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva and authored numerous books, most of which were published posthumously.