A very old film has been unearthed in the research archives of the University of South Carolina showing the Torah giant, the Chofetz Chaim, entering the hall of the First Knessiah Gedola in Vienna, 5683. Small of stature, wearing a simple peasant hat, we can see the figure of such incredible spiritual stature suddenly come to life in everyday dimension, a figure who firmly established the Jewish world through his Mishnah Berurah, his clear-cut guide to daily life, his firm direction in the grindstone of correct and proper speech and changed Jewish spiritual life to something much higher.
The film is now available for viewing on YouTube, entitled, "Historic Chofetz Chaim Video Almost Unnoticed For Over A Decade." It is very clear and well focused. According to the notes there from VIN News, the footage was shot by 20th Century Fox News cameraman Hans Von Pebal, who covered assignments in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia and Hungary. The footage shows various delegates arriving for the Knessia Gedolah at the Zirkue Strasse Congress Building on August 15th, 1923, the first day of the historic ten day convention.
The clip, which the MIRC says has been verified for authenticity, shows the Chofetz Chaim, who was 84 years old at the time, arriving to the Knessia Gedolah accompanied by several men. The Chofetz Chaim can be seen walking towards the camera for 13 seconds before the camera is blocked by a hand, probably because the Chofetz Chaim did not like pictures taken of him.
The film was preserved with funds from the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation, and contains all known footage of the 1923 Congress in the Fox Collection.
The MIRC site offers possible identification for some of the delegates in the video, including the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Chaim Shachor, chief rabbi of Romania, Rabbi Lowenstein, chief rabbi of Zurich, and Rabbi Permutier, chief rabbi of Warsaw. Allen said that much of that information was not available when the footage was originally posted to the site. There is unmistakable footage of Morenu Rav Yaakov Rosenheim.
