Fundraising Efforts for Communities in Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s improved conditions under Suleiman the Magnificent gradually deteriorated toward the end of the sixteenth century under the rule of the tyrannical governor Abu Sufain. During this period, the leaders of the Tsfat community became increasingly involved in the affairs of Jerusalem’s Jewish community, both through communal intervention and by raising financial support, as reflected in a 1575 letter written by the Jewish notables of Mantua:

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“We have marked the plight of the cherished sons of Zion and their moaning and have seen their distress, the hardships and straits that press on them. We have seen written in a letter that is before us, and as is the case for all truthful writings, it is signed and endorsed by all the notables… among them the most eminent among the rabbis of our people, Rabbi Yosef Karo, may he live long. They will surely testify to the needs of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, may it be speedily rebuilt. For almost all of them are poverty-stricken, miserable, and destitute by dint of their burdens.”

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In the picture is a letter written on behalf of, and signed by, Rabbi Yosef Karo in the land of Israel to Jacob Villarreal in Egypt. Rabbi Karo requests repayment of a loan, noting the struggles of the communities in the Land.

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