RABBI MEIR BAAL HANEIS SALANT was founded in 1860 by RABBI SHMUEL SALANT (1816-1909) who served as the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem from 1841 until his death in 1909.

In 1860, a time of universal poverty and hardship, the communities in Israel began an unprecedented descent into abject poverty, the likes which it had not seen in decades. Hundreds of people died of malnutrition and hunger, particularly infants and young children. The dire situation threatened to engulf the entire country and put an end to Jewish existence there. Rabbi Shmuel Salant rose to this monumental challenge, and founded the central RABBI MEIR BAAL HANEIS SALANT charity fund to provide for all of Israel's impoverished families and save them from oblivion. This fund united the community under it's umbrella and incorperated many takanos which provided fairness and equality to all the various factions within the community. This new entity was enthusiastically endorsed and supported by all the leading rabbis of Israel and the Diaspora. That year Rabbi Meir Auerbach (1815-1878) emigrated to Israel. Rabbi Auerbach was a world acclaimed Rabbi and towering scholar. He had previously been the Chief Rabbi of Kalish, an important city in central Poland. Rabbi Salant, in his keen wisdom and insight, appointed Rabbi Auerbach as assistant Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. This turned out to be a tremendous blessing for the community as Rabbi Auerbach was a indefatigable community activist and proved to be an indispensible asset to Rabbi Salant. He also assisted in managing the Rabbi Meir Baal Haneis Salant fund. Unfortunately Rabbi Auerbach passed away at a relatively young age in 1878.

In 1888 Rabbi Salant's eyesight began to fail. He did not allow this debilitating disability to stop his wide-ranging activities in Israel’s communal affairs. In 1900, however, he enlisted as his assistant in the Rabbi Meir Baal Haneis Salant charity fund Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz-Teomim (1845-1905), Chief Rabbi of Mir, and world famous scholar and author. Rabbi Rabinowitz-Teomim was born near Kovno in 1845. In 1873 he was invited to the rabbinate of Ponevezh, the fifth largest city in Lithuania. Twenty years later he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Mir. At the turn of the century Rabbi Rabinowitz-Teomim settled in Israel. Upon the advice of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski of Vilna he was chosen to assist the elderly Rabbi Salant with an eye towards taking full charge of the Jerusalem Rabbinate if and when Rabbi Shmuel felt unable to discharge his duties to to his advanced age. For five years they worked tirelessly together for the benefit of the Jewish settlement and the Rabbi Meir Baal haneis charity fund. As mentioned, Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz-Teomim predeceased Rabbi Shmuel Salant, passing away in 1905 at the early age of sixty and Rabbi Shmuel Salant was once again left to lead the community all alone.

Rabbi Shmuel Salant passed away on Monday, August 16 (29 Av) 1909 at the age of ninety three. He was mourned by the entire Jewish world, and particularly by the Jerusalem community which he so faithfully led for over sixty years. He was buried the next day on the Mount of Olives. Before his passing, Rabbi Salant inscribed his last will and testimony and written pledge that one who supports Rabbi Meir Baal Haneis Salant charity will merit heavenly blessings and divine mercy. Countless prominent Jewish leaders worldwide took an active role in assisting Rabbi Shmuel Salant in his holy mission of administrating the Rabbi Meir Baal Haneis fund. Some of the more notable ones were:

• Rabbi Meir Auerbach (1815-1878) - Chief Rabbi of Kalish
  
• Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector (1837-1907) - Chief Rabbi of Kovno & leader of Russian Jewry
  
• Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Eliashar (1817-1906) - Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Jerusalem
  
• Rabbi Dovid Friedman (1828-1917) - Chief Rabbi of Karlin
  
• Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908) - Chief Rabbi of Navahrudak. Author, Aruch Hashulchan
  
• Rabbi Chaim Berlin (1832-1912) - Chief Rabbi of Moscow
  
• Rabbi Mordechai Rosenblatt Veitzel (1836-1916) - Chief Rabbi of Ashmina
  
• Rabbi Yitzchok Blazar (1837-1907) - Chief Rabbi of Petersburg
  
• Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan (1838-1933) - Chofetz Chaim of Radin
  
• Rabbi Eliezer Gordon (1841-1910) - Chief Rabbi & Rosh Yeshiva of Telz- Lithuania
  
• Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz- Teomim (1845-1905) - Chief Rabbi of Mir
  
• Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky (1863-1940) - World Famous Dayan and Posek of Vilna