Poster of Rabbi Spector letter re. Machzikei Hadass On the right side of this poster is a Hebrew language letter from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Spector [or 'Spektor'] (1818-1896), head of the Jewish court of Kovno/Kowno, Lithuania, one of the leading rabbis of his time. The left side is a translation of the letter into Yiddish. The text states that Rabbi Spector stands behind Chief Rabbi Naftali [Hermann] Adler and confirms his ruling that it is absolutely forbidden for a faction of the religious Jewish community, known as ‘Machzikei Hadass’ [Maḥaziḳe ha-dat, lit. ‘Upholders of the Religion’], to secede from the general community of religious Jewry and set up their own community, establishing their own rabbi, kosher slaughterer and inspector, butchers, etc. Dated Wednesday, 24 Marheshvan 5652 [25 November 1891]. See also GASTER/8/C/25. 25 Nov 1891