Physical Description:

First edition. [2], 15: 9, [2] pp.. octavo, 204:134 mm., light age staining, nice margins, A good copy bound in the extra title wrappers, split.

Detailed Description:   

Title (English Section): Methods to be employed by mohelim in the performance of circumcision as recommended by the medical members of the Milah Board ...

Full instruction book of the dos and don'ts for mohelim in the performance of circumcisions in Yiddish and English. The Milah Board of New York was created in 1914 as an independent organization by the Kehillah to train and certify mohels for the religious rite of circumcision. By the 1940s, the Brith Milah Board was subvented by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and managed by the New York Board of Rabbis. As advances in medicine were made, the training of mohels grew from not only knowing the law and tradition, but also the latest methods of asepsis and medical hygiene. Other duties include outreach to hospitals to educate hospital workers of the importance of the rite and work with them to provide accommodation. In 1968, the Brith Milah Board opened a school for the training of mohelim at Mt. Sinai Hospital, the first such institution in Jewish History.

From www.kevarim.com by Moshe Escott: Rav Eskolsky (1875-1931) served as a rav in Europe for a few years (first in Rublie and then in Kazhan-Hardok) at the turn of the last century. He then came to the USA in late 1906 and became the Rav of the Beis Midrash HaGadol (aka the Penn Avenue shul) in Scranton, PA. Afterwards (around 1909 or 1910) he became the Rav of the Slutzker shul on Pike street in the lower east side of NY. In 1918, he became the Rav of the Bialystoker shul on Willet Street in the lower east side.

He was also a co-founder of the Ezras Torah fund in 1915 and served as its first mazkir until about 1925. In 1926 He founded the Degel HaRabbanim organization and would serve as its leader.

Rav Eskolsky’s paternal grandmother was a sister of Rav Meir Myrim Shafit (mechaber of Sefer Nir on the Yerushalmi). This is stated in R. Shmuel Noach Gottlieb’s Oholei Shem and in R. Benzion Eisenstadt’s Doros HaAcharonim in their entries on R. Eskolsky. Additionally an older brother of R. Eskolsky, (Meir) Myrim Eskolsky, was named after R. Shafit according to an article by Zalman Shazar in Sefer Mir (the Mir yizkor book). Rav Avraham Aharon Yudelovitch’s mother Sasha was also a sister of R. Shafit. This made R. Yudelovitch a first cousin of R. Eskolsky’s father Dov Ber. There are a couple of instances in R. Yudelovitch’s Beis Av that refer to R. Eskolsky as She’er Besari which indicate a familial relationship. Additionally I have a copy of a letter written by R. Eskolsky to R. Yudelovitch which refers to the latter in the same way. Also the same phrasing appears on a personal semicha given by R. Yudelovitch in the late 1920s to R. Eskolsky’s son Rabbi Mitchel Eskolsky.

In this way it can easily be understood how Rabbis Eskolsky and Yudelovitch were involved together with various endeavors over the years eg. HaMitzpe, Agudas HaRabbanim V’haMatifim, Degel HaRabbanim, etc.

It can also be understood how it was fitting that R. Eskolsky was the head of the American organization that raised funds for Yeshivas Ohr Torah of Teveria, the first yeshiva for Slonimer Chassidim ever created. That yeshiva’s original menahel was Rav Mattes Sandberg who married a daughter of R. Meir Myrim Shafit. It also probably didn’t hurt that R. Eskolsky was born to a family of staunch Slonimer Chassidim and that R. Eskolsky had significant personal contact with Rav Shmuel Weinberg (the second Slonimer rebbe) while learning in the famed misnagdishe yeshiva in Slonim.

R. Eskolsky was also related to Rav Menachem Risikoff who also appears on this site. While the existence of the relation is well documented, the living descendants on each side of the family have yet to figure out the exact relation as of this writing.

Hebrew Description:    

מעט דברים ... דברי הרבנים, אשר בועד המילה נמנים, בדבר מילת הבנים. ווי אויך נויטיגע מעטהאדען וואס יעדער מוהל מוז וויסען ... פון די דאקטוירים סטאף פון ועד המילה, מאת ועד המילה שנתיסד מהקהלה דנוא יארק. ונערך ע"י הרב ר’ יעקב איסקאלסקי בחדש ניסן התרע"ה ...

שני העמ’ הראשונים והאחרונים הם המעטפת, שגם עליה טכסט.

יידיש ואנגלית.

מ’ 3-6: "ועד המילה יסודתו ומטרתו", בעברית.

References:   

Bibliography of the Hebrew Book 1470-1960 #000109691; www.kevarim.com