"You are the only one of all my friends who has the opportunity to do for Bezalel and has done nothing for me" - ...

"You are the only one of all my friends who has the opportunity to do for Bezalel and has done nothing for me" - Hard letter from Boris Schatz during the dying convulsions of 'Bezalel' to the Chief Rabbi of Stockholm, Rabbi Mordechai Ehrenfries

A hard and sharp letter in the handwriting and signature of Boris Schatz, dated 6/8/1927, which was sent to the Chief Rabbi of Stockholm (Sweden) Rabbi Mordechai (Marcus) Ehrenfries, in assault demand to come to the aid of the Bezalel School during its last dying convulsions.

In his letter, which was written on his return from America in purpose of raising money for the school, Boris Schatz addresses Rabbi Ehrenfries in a harsh and even somewhat cheeky way, because he did not reply to his letters: "I know your illness does not answer letters... everything has a limit and there are things that have no atonement ".  And he continues to attack him for ignoring the difficult situation of Bezalel: "I do not understand your attitude towards me ... I was a soulmate with you and your family. We talked like a man to his brother in the language of "you" and I do not know why you moved away from me, was it for the sin that I went to Eretz Yisrael and founded Bezalel?" Boris Schatz later blames Rabbi Ehrenfreiz no less than for the theft of his work, which he left with him for safekeeping only, and he did not return it to him, nor the money fee. Schatz continues to slap him in the face: "You are the only one, of all my friends who has the opportunity to do for Bezalel and did nothing for me, the Jews of Sweden did nothing for Bezalel and you only accused of it, because everyone I contacted in Sweden said that there is no one more suitable to do for Bezalel than Dr. Aharonfries ... ". Schatz later claims his money for a work of art he left with Ehrenfries, and apologizes: "It will hurt my heart to write you a letter in this version, but it was your behavior that wrote the text for me."

The Bezalel School of Art experienced a severe economic crisis in 1926 and actually closed for the first time in 1928. That year it reopened when a new source of donations was created, but finally closed in 1929. Schatz traveled with his son to the United States in a last-ditch attempt to save the school. This trip was unsuccessful and did not yield the requested sums to save the school. The letter before us was written during the school's dying convulsions, and it also shows the difficult personal situation of Boris Schatz himself, who sees the toil of his life sinking.

[2] p. Official Bezalel stationery 21x27 cm.. Filing holes. Good condition.