A new unknown photo of HaGaon HaRav Yisrael Meir HaCohen of Radin, the Chofetz Chaim, z’tl, was recently discovered by Rav Dan Schlesinger, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported.
The rare picture was publicized on Wednesday morning by the author Yekusiel Yehudah Ganzel in the Hamevaser newspaper.
Earlier this week, Rav Schlesinger published a special booklet with stories about the Chofetz Chaim, including the story of his planned trip to settle in Eretz Yisrael, which has never been published before.
Rav Schlesinger discovered the anecdotes about the Chofetz Chaim when he received an inheritance which included documents and banknotes that the Chofetz Chaim sent to a Yerushalmi Jew named Rav Yosef Levi Chagiz. Rav Chagiz had sent 100 liras to the Chofetz Chaim in Radin to finance his trip to Eretz Yisrael. The trip never came to fruition and the Chofetz Chaim sent the money back to Rav Chagiz with a shaliach.
Among the documents was the rare photo of the Chofetz Chaim. There are very few existing pictures of the revered Gadol, especially a relatively close-up photo such as this one. The Chofetz Chaim is seen sitting at a table with two other Jews but as of now their identities are unknown.
In 2015, rare footage of the Chofetz Chaim at the first Knessia Gedolah of the World Agudas Yisrael in 1923 in Vienna was discovered. The Chofetz Chaim can be seen beginning at 0:56 in the video below.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Is there an American flag (among other flags) flying outside the hotel at the Aguda convention in the 1920s video?
1. Has anyone else been identified in the film?
2. Interesting that many of the participants were clean shaven.
3. The horrors that awaited may of these people a few decades later
@cowdoc
in answer to your first question, yes, the rabbi who comes in right before the chofetz chaim is reb yisroel chortkover hy”d (i think its the one who comes in before the chofetz chaim, maybe its the one before that)
MAYBE THE EINEIKLACH SHOULD TAKE THIS PICTURE AND BE MISOIRER TO MAKE SHALOM
I wonder what it means the picture was found among the documents sent to the Israeli Jew? The chofetz chaim returned the items the Israeli man sent him. So how did the picture get into the mix? Can’t be the chofetz chaim knowingly sent a picture of himself..so odd!