Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
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Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $300
Unsold
"Hitadkenut" [Update], an article handwritten by Haim Gouri, signed. [1974]. Hebrew.
The article "Hitadkenut", somewhat in the style of a prose poem, was written after the Yom Kippur War, close to the publication of the Agranat Commission report, which investigated the failures of the war. It was published in the journal Molad in 1974 (vol. 6 [29], issue 31 [241], April-June 1974).
Gouri writes: "The process of drawing conclusions is undoubtedly a most painful one, yet there is no escape, you know it as well as I do, from dealing with it […] please do me this courtesy and never again utter – until the coming of the Messiah do not say – the two sickening words 'low probability'. And for the sake of your people of Israel include in the teams of experts some wild-haired anxious prophet who will add gloomy pessimism, ancient Israeli unrest, to the evaluation of the situation".
Later, he pleads: "And act, for God's sake, as if in a continuous and constant repetitive drill. And always ask yourself, what is new by nightfall or by dawn, am I being misled, am I indulging in 'conceptions'… created in my tired mind due to the hardships and the terrors".
This is a handwritten draft of the article (13 leaves), with erasures and corrections. It includes an ending paragraph that was not published in Molad.
13 ff, approx. 30 cm. Good overall condition. Stains. Blemishes and minor creases. Minute tears to edges of several leaves.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
The article "Hitadkenut", somewhat in the style of a prose poem, was written after the Yom Kippur War, close to the publication of the Agranat Commission report, which investigated the failures of the war. It was published in the journal Molad in 1974 (vol. 6 [29], issue 31 [241], April-June 1974).
Gouri writes: "The process of drawing conclusions is undoubtedly a most painful one, yet there is no escape, you know it as well as I do, from dealing with it […] please do me this courtesy and never again utter – until the coming of the Messiah do not say – the two sickening words 'low probability'. And for the sake of your people of Israel include in the teams of experts some wild-haired anxious prophet who will add gloomy pessimism, ancient Israeli unrest, to the evaluation of the situation".
Later, he pleads: "And act, for God's sake, as if in a continuous and constant repetitive drill. And always ask yourself, what is new by nightfall or by dawn, am I being misled, am I indulging in 'conceptions'… created in my tired mind due to the hardships and the terrors".
This is a handwritten draft of the article (13 leaves), with erasures and corrections. It includes an ending paragraph that was not published in Molad.
13 ff, approx. 30 cm. Good overall condition. Stains. Blemishes and minor creases. Minute tears to edges of several leaves.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $400
Sold for: $575
Including buyer's premium
Collection of items related to the song "Jerusalem of Gold", poet Naomi Shemer and singer Yaffa Yarkoni. [Israel 1960s to 1990s].
Including:
• A short note handwritten by Naomi Shemer, concerning her song "Jerusalem of Gold": " I am happy to share with you the sheet music of 'Jerusalem of Gold'…". Signed by her and dated June 23, 1967 (about a month after the premiere of the song and two weeks after the end of the Six-Day-War).
• A printed leaf with the lyrics of "Jerusalem of Gold", a gift to IDF soldiers upon the liberation of the Old City. [June 1967].
• A 33 RPM "Shana Tova" greeting card record, playing Jerusalem of Gold by Shulamit Livnat.
• A record, "Jerusalem fun Gold" ("Jerusalem of Gold" by Naomi Shemer; Yiddish) and additional songs by Yafa Yarkoni. 33 RPM.
• The poem "Rokedet", a handwritten draft by Naomi Shemer. The poem, written for Yafa Yarkoni's 60th birthday, is based on her life story.
• Two fan letters addressed to Yafa Yarkoni: a letter from a high school student, dated 9.6.67 (one leaf; missing end), mentioning Yarkoni being the "first singer by the Western Wall", and a letter from a soldier wounded during the Six-Day-War, dated 3.7.67.
The song "Jerusalem of Gold" was written by Shemer for the 1967 Israeli Song Festival, when Mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek requested several songwriters, including Shemer, to compose a special song dedicated to Jerusalem. A few weeks after the debut performance of the song at the Song Festival (on Independence Day), the Six-Day War broke out. In a telegraph Kollek sent to Shemer he wrote: "All IDF soldiers stationed in Jerusalem and its surroundings, and all residents of Jerusalem are always singing 'Jerusalem of Gold'. With the change in the city's borders, we ask that you add another, uplifting verse to the song". Shemer, who at the time was in the Sinai Desert with an army band, heard IDF soldiers singing the song on the radio and added a new verse in which she compared the pre-war atmosphere to the post-war one. With "Jerusalem of Gold", Shemer became for many the "national songwriter". "Jerusalem of Gold" is considered one of the most beloved Hebrew songs of all times and one of the most famous ones. The best-known recording of the song is that of singer Yafa Yarkoni.
Yafa Yarkoni (1925-2012), born in Tel-Aviv, started her artistic career at a young age, performing at the café owned by her family. She was a dancer in the Gertrud Kraus Dance Company for 12 years, until she was forced to retire due to an injury. In 1947, she joined the Haganah and started singing with the "Chishtron" band; immediately after the War of Independence, she recorded the album "Bab al-Wad" composed of war songs. She led a rich musical career for five decades. Her many appearances at Israeli army bases and before soldiers in the field, earned her the title "singer of the wars". In 1998, she was awarded the Israel Prize; an album she released that year included the song "Rokedet" by Naomi Shemer.
7 items. Size and condition vary.
Including:
• A short note handwritten by Naomi Shemer, concerning her song "Jerusalem of Gold": " I am happy to share with you the sheet music of 'Jerusalem of Gold'…". Signed by her and dated June 23, 1967 (about a month after the premiere of the song and two weeks after the end of the Six-Day-War).
• A printed leaf with the lyrics of "Jerusalem of Gold", a gift to IDF soldiers upon the liberation of the Old City. [June 1967].
• A 33 RPM "Shana Tova" greeting card record, playing Jerusalem of Gold by Shulamit Livnat.
• A record, "Jerusalem fun Gold" ("Jerusalem of Gold" by Naomi Shemer; Yiddish) and additional songs by Yafa Yarkoni. 33 RPM.
• The poem "Rokedet", a handwritten draft by Naomi Shemer. The poem, written for Yafa Yarkoni's 60th birthday, is based on her life story.
• Two fan letters addressed to Yafa Yarkoni: a letter from a high school student, dated 9.6.67 (one leaf; missing end), mentioning Yarkoni being the "first singer by the Western Wall", and a letter from a soldier wounded during the Six-Day-War, dated 3.7.67.
The song "Jerusalem of Gold" was written by Shemer for the 1967 Israeli Song Festival, when Mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek requested several songwriters, including Shemer, to compose a special song dedicated to Jerusalem. A few weeks after the debut performance of the song at the Song Festival (on Independence Day), the Six-Day War broke out. In a telegraph Kollek sent to Shemer he wrote: "All IDF soldiers stationed in Jerusalem and its surroundings, and all residents of Jerusalem are always singing 'Jerusalem of Gold'. With the change in the city's borders, we ask that you add another, uplifting verse to the song". Shemer, who at the time was in the Sinai Desert with an army band, heard IDF soldiers singing the song on the radio and added a new verse in which she compared the pre-war atmosphere to the post-war one. With "Jerusalem of Gold", Shemer became for many the "national songwriter". "Jerusalem of Gold" is considered one of the most beloved Hebrew songs of all times and one of the most famous ones. The best-known recording of the song is that of singer Yafa Yarkoni.
Yafa Yarkoni (1925-2012), born in Tel-Aviv, started her artistic career at a young age, performing at the café owned by her family. She was a dancer in the Gertrud Kraus Dance Company for 12 years, until she was forced to retire due to an injury. In 1947, she joined the Haganah and started singing with the "Chishtron" band; immediately after the War of Independence, she recorded the album "Bab al-Wad" composed of war songs. She led a rich musical career for five decades. Her many appearances at Israeli army bases and before soldiers in the field, earned her the title "singer of the wars". In 1998, she was awarded the Israel Prize; an album she released that year included the song "Rokedet" by Naomi Shemer.
7 items. Size and condition vary.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $400
Sold for: $500
Including buyer's premium
Collection of signed autograph drafts by economist and political theorist Harold Laski, chairman of the British Labour Party after World War II. [England, ca. 1940s]. English.
Harold Joseph Laski (1893-1950), a political theorist economist, was considered one of the most extreme politicians of the English left, supporting Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union almost unequivocally, even implicitly calling for the use of violence if the Labour Party did not win the elections. Several important leaders warned against him after the War - Winston Churchill claimed that if the Labour won the elections, Laski will be "the power behind the throne"; John F. Kennedy wrote that "It's that spirit which builds dictatorships, as has been shown in Russia"; and Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Sharett wrote (in a letter) that Laski "knows no pity and nothing is sacred to him. He destroys but does not build anew. He is no socialist, no Jewish nationalist; just a plain Jew whose Jewish bitterness is spilling over". Laski's name appeared in Orwell's List – a list communist sympathisers compiled by George Orwell before his death.
This is a collection of drafts of articles by Laski:
1. Draft of the article "Palestine, the economic aspect". A pro-Zionist analysis of the economic development of Palestine in the years of the British Mandate, with a 17-steps plan for establishing a Jewish State in the spirit of Socialism: the establishment of labor unions, the establishment of collective settlements, the establishment of cooperatives for marketing products and more.
16 handwritten pages. Hand-signed by Laski on the last page.
The article was published in the book Palestine's Economic Future, edited by J.B. Hobman (London: Percy Lund Humphries, 1946).
2-15. London Letter, fourteen drafts of opinion pieces for the Scottish journal of the Labour Party, Forward, on a variety of subjects.
2-4 handwritten pages per draft, most of them hand-signed by Laski on the last page. Two of them are, presumably, incomplete.
Enclosed: • A letter to the readers of the "Davar" newspaper – greetings for the May 1st, the International Workers' Day (presumably, of 1945, the eve of Nazi Germany's surrender). One typewritten page, with handwritten additions and corrections, unsigned. • An autograph eulogy for Harold Laski. Written, presumably, by a leader or a member of the Zionist Movement. 7 pp.
Good condition. Stains. Some creases. Small tears to edges. Fold lines and minor blemishes.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
Harold Joseph Laski (1893-1950), a political theorist economist, was considered one of the most extreme politicians of the English left, supporting Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union almost unequivocally, even implicitly calling for the use of violence if the Labour Party did not win the elections. Several important leaders warned against him after the War - Winston Churchill claimed that if the Labour won the elections, Laski will be "the power behind the throne"; John F. Kennedy wrote that "It's that spirit which builds dictatorships, as has been shown in Russia"; and Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Sharett wrote (in a letter) that Laski "knows no pity and nothing is sacred to him. He destroys but does not build anew. He is no socialist, no Jewish nationalist; just a plain Jew whose Jewish bitterness is spilling over". Laski's name appeared in Orwell's List – a list communist sympathisers compiled by George Orwell before his death.
This is a collection of drafts of articles by Laski:
1. Draft of the article "Palestine, the economic aspect". A pro-Zionist analysis of the economic development of Palestine in the years of the British Mandate, with a 17-steps plan for establishing a Jewish State in the spirit of Socialism: the establishment of labor unions, the establishment of collective settlements, the establishment of cooperatives for marketing products and more.
16 handwritten pages. Hand-signed by Laski on the last page.
The article was published in the book Palestine's Economic Future, edited by J.B. Hobman (London: Percy Lund Humphries, 1946).
2-15. London Letter, fourteen drafts of opinion pieces for the Scottish journal of the Labour Party, Forward, on a variety of subjects.
2-4 handwritten pages per draft, most of them hand-signed by Laski on the last page. Two of them are, presumably, incomplete.
Enclosed: • A letter to the readers of the "Davar" newspaper – greetings for the May 1st, the International Workers' Day (presumably, of 1945, the eve of Nazi Germany's surrender). One typewritten page, with handwritten additions and corrections, unsigned. • An autograph eulogy for Harold Laski. Written, presumably, by a leader or a member of the Zionist Movement. 7 pp.
Good condition. Stains. Some creases. Small tears to edges. Fold lines and minor blemishes.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $600
Sold for: $1,625
Including buyer's premium
One Palestine Pound banknote of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, hand-signed by David Ben-Gurion. [September 1948].
One Palestine Pound banknote of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, hand-signed by then- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion – "D. Ben-Gurion" (Hebrew; in blue ink).
This banknote was sent to Zionist leader and writer Leon Gellman (1887-1971), in New York, on the occasion of the first Rosh Hashana after the establishment of the State of Israel (1948).
Enclosed: a letter (typewritten in English, on JNF stationery) that was enclosed with the banknote, from September 20, 1948, signed by the director of the overseas department of the JNF Eliyahu (Elias) M.Epstein (1895-1958).
Banknote: 15X7.5 cm. Good condition. Letter: [1] f., 28 cm. Good condition. Fold lines. Stains and minor blemishes.
One Palestine Pound banknote of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, hand-signed by then- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion – "D. Ben-Gurion" (Hebrew; in blue ink).
This banknote was sent to Zionist leader and writer Leon Gellman (1887-1971), in New York, on the occasion of the first Rosh Hashana after the establishment of the State of Israel (1948).
Enclosed: a letter (typewritten in English, on JNF stationery) that was enclosed with the banknote, from September 20, 1948, signed by the director of the overseas department of the JNF Eliyahu (Elias) M.Epstein (1895-1958).
Banknote: 15X7.5 cm. Good condition. Letter: [1] f., 28 cm. Good condition. Fold lines. Stains and minor blemishes.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $300
Sold for: $375
Including buyer's premium
Letter of condolences, calligraphic script on vellum, hand-signed by David Ben-Gurion. April 1948. Hebrew.
"With profound sorrow we regret to inform that Dr. Benjamin Klar was killed in action […] the Israeli government, the IDF and the Hebrew nation will always bear the memory of Dr. Benjamin who was killed defending the homeland in the battle for its freedom and independence" (Hebrew).
Dr. Benjamin Menahem Klar (1901-1948), a translator, Hebrew linguist and literary scholar, was killed during the attack on the Hadassah convoy (Mount Scopus Convoy) on April 13, 1948.
16X12 cm. Good condition. Stains. Corrections with white correction fluid. Signature slightly faded.
"With profound sorrow we regret to inform that Dr. Benjamin Klar was killed in action […] the Israeli government, the IDF and the Hebrew nation will always bear the memory of Dr. Benjamin who was killed defending the homeland in the battle for its freedom and independence" (Hebrew).
Dr. Benjamin Menahem Klar (1901-1948), a translator, Hebrew linguist and literary scholar, was killed during the attack on the Hadassah convoy (Mount Scopus Convoy) on April 13, 1948.
16X12 cm. Good condition. Stains. Corrections with white correction fluid. Signature slightly faded.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Collection of letters and drafts for publication of speeches and lectures delivered by David Ben-Gurion on various occasions. From the archive of the journal Molad edited by Ephraim Broido. Israel, 1949-1957. Hebrew.
1. Correspondence between Ben-Gurion and Broido:
• Letter by Ben-Gurion to Broido – invitation to a meeting of writers on the subject of "The problem of the spiritual absorption of the Aliyah"; printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office and hand-signed by Ben-Gurion (Tel-Aviv, 4.10.1949). Enclosed is the booklet "Divrei-Sofrim, on the second meeting called by the Prime Minister, on October 11, 1949" (Hebrew; HaKirya, 1950). • Two letters by Ben-Gurion to Broido (one printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office, with Ben-Gurion's handwritten signature – 23.9.1957 and the second entirely handwritten by Ben-Gurion – 9.10.1957), and a response letter (4 typewritten pages) by Broido (4.10.1957). The letters deal with the correct spelling of words of Greek origin, which include the letter 'S' (whether the Hebrew letter ז' or ס' should be used). • Copy of a letter by Broido to Ben-Gurion, with a request to set up time to meet, to talk about the Molad journal and discuss the question of "How… to overcome the mental stagnation and depletion of expression… which have become customary… and soon will be accepted as natural" (November, 1954). • Copy of a letter by Broido to Ben-Gurion, regarding Spinoza's words about the Jewish people being perceived as the chosen people (22.8.1957).
2. Drafts for publication of speeches and lectures delivered by David Ben-Gurion on different occasions and on various topics (typewritten, with handwritten additions, comments, erasures, and many changes, presumably for publication in Molad; some possibly handwritten by Ben-Gurion). Two of them signed by Ben-Gurion.
• "The State of Israel and the Zionist Movement" (Hebrew), Ben-Gurion's speech at the beginning of the meeting of the Zionist executive committee in Jerusalem, April 25, 1950. 24 leaves; first leaf signed by Ben-Gurion on top. The edited version was printed in Molad, vol. 5, p. 67 and onward. • "A meeting of Mr. D. Ben-Gurion with an apolitical circle" (Hebrew), protocol of a meeting that took place at the "Zionists of America Hall" on 15.6.1955, dealing with changing the Knesset electoral system. The chairman of the meeting was the former Chief of Staff Yaakov Dori and the main speaker was the Minister of Defense David Ben-Gurion, who delivered an extensive political-social speech about the condition of the people in Israel and abroad. 33 leaves (the edited version was presumably not printed). • [What's between Saul and David?], a lecture given by Ben-Gurion at the "Bible lesson at the Prime Minister's residence", meeting 64. 8 leaves; the first leaf signed by Ben-Gurion. The edited version was printed in Molad, vol. 20, pp. 173-174.
Enclosed: the envelope of Ben-Gurion's letter from 9.10.1957; a letter printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office, to Ephraim Broido, 7.10.1957.
Good overall condition. Stains, tears, creases and blemishes to margins of some leaves.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
1. Correspondence between Ben-Gurion and Broido:
• Letter by Ben-Gurion to Broido – invitation to a meeting of writers on the subject of "The problem of the spiritual absorption of the Aliyah"; printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office and hand-signed by Ben-Gurion (Tel-Aviv, 4.10.1949). Enclosed is the booklet "Divrei-Sofrim, on the second meeting called by the Prime Minister, on October 11, 1949" (Hebrew; HaKirya, 1950). • Two letters by Ben-Gurion to Broido (one printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office, with Ben-Gurion's handwritten signature – 23.9.1957 and the second entirely handwritten by Ben-Gurion – 9.10.1957), and a response letter (4 typewritten pages) by Broido (4.10.1957). The letters deal with the correct spelling of words of Greek origin, which include the letter 'S' (whether the Hebrew letter ז' or ס' should be used). • Copy of a letter by Broido to Ben-Gurion, with a request to set up time to meet, to talk about the Molad journal and discuss the question of "How… to overcome the mental stagnation and depletion of expression… which have become customary… and soon will be accepted as natural" (November, 1954). • Copy of a letter by Broido to Ben-Gurion, regarding Spinoza's words about the Jewish people being perceived as the chosen people (22.8.1957).
2. Drafts for publication of speeches and lectures delivered by David Ben-Gurion on different occasions and on various topics (typewritten, with handwritten additions, comments, erasures, and many changes, presumably for publication in Molad; some possibly handwritten by Ben-Gurion). Two of them signed by Ben-Gurion.
• "The State of Israel and the Zionist Movement" (Hebrew), Ben-Gurion's speech at the beginning of the meeting of the Zionist executive committee in Jerusalem, April 25, 1950. 24 leaves; first leaf signed by Ben-Gurion on top. The edited version was printed in Molad, vol. 5, p. 67 and onward. • "A meeting of Mr. D. Ben-Gurion with an apolitical circle" (Hebrew), protocol of a meeting that took place at the "Zionists of America Hall" on 15.6.1955, dealing with changing the Knesset electoral system. The chairman of the meeting was the former Chief of Staff Yaakov Dori and the main speaker was the Minister of Defense David Ben-Gurion, who delivered an extensive political-social speech about the condition of the people in Israel and abroad. 33 leaves (the edited version was presumably not printed). • [What's between Saul and David?], a lecture given by Ben-Gurion at the "Bible lesson at the Prime Minister's residence", meeting 64. 8 leaves; the first leaf signed by Ben-Gurion. The edited version was printed in Molad, vol. 20, pp. 173-174.
Enclosed: the envelope of Ben-Gurion's letter from 9.10.1957; a letter printed on the official stationery of the Prime Minister's Office, to Ephraim Broido, 7.10.1957.
Good overall condition. Stains, tears, creases and blemishes to margins of some leaves.
Provenance: The Molad Archive.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Unsold
Five letters, correspondence between Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and World Mizrachi president Aryeh Leib Gelman (including two lengthy letters handwritten by Ben-Gurion); and a letter by the editor of the Mizrachi journal, Shabtai Don Yichyeh, following the publication of an article about David Ben-Gurion. Sdeh Boker and Jerusalem, October 1952 to November 1954. Hebrew.
1. A letter by Aryeh Leib Gelman to Ben-Gurion, October 5, 1952 (two printed copies, with handwritten corrections). Written after the Haredi parties "Agudat Israel" and "Poalei Agudat Israel" withdrew from the coalition over the issue of recruiting women to the IDF. Gelman writes: "It is certainly possible that you Mr. Prime Minister is the one to blame and the major cause, due to your failing to sufficiently consider the religious sensibilities of the people of Torah and faith".
2. A lengthy letter by Ben-Gurion, in response to the above letter by Gelman, October 15, 1952 (typewritten on the Prime Minister's official stationery, with handwritten corrections; hand-signed by Ben-Gurion):" I hereby accept the claim that your words imply, that the sensibilities of people of Torah and 'faith' should be considered, however I add that such people must also consider the sensibilities of other Jews who do not think the same as them. There are no privileged in Israel, we are all considered princes and we all have a portion in the world to come…".
3-4. Two lengthy letters by David Ben-Gurion to Aryeh Leib Gelman, October-November 1954 (handwritten and signed by him). Sent in response to an article published by "S. Daniel" (Shabtai Don Yichyeh), editor of the Mizrachi journal, "HaTzofeh", claiming that Ben-Gurion cursed Jewish Orthodox leaders during a visit of members of the Bnei Akiva youth movement in his home in Sdeh Boker. Ben-Gurion responds: " The editor of 'Hatzofeh' is publicly disobeying one of the Ten Commandments that says: 'Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor', he is violating an explicit Torah prohibition that says: 'Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people'. He is disobeying an explicit Torah command: 'Keep far from a false matter'. And he does not do it in secret, but rather publicly, on the pages of 'HaTzofeh' journal, which advocates the sanctity of the Torah".
Enclosed is a printed copy of the letter from November 1954.
5. A letter by Aryeh Leib Gelman in response to the two above letters by Ben-Gurion, October 31, 1954 (typewritten on thin paper). A promise to conduct a "thorough examination" as to the article in "HaTzofeh".
6. Copy of a letter by Shabtai Don Yichyeh to Aryeh Leib Gelman, July 7, 1954 (typewritten on thin paper): "Mr. Ben-Gurion cannot stand his political and spiritual opinions being disputed…".
Six letters (two duplicates). Size and condition vary.
1. A letter by Aryeh Leib Gelman to Ben-Gurion, October 5, 1952 (two printed copies, with handwritten corrections). Written after the Haredi parties "Agudat Israel" and "Poalei Agudat Israel" withdrew from the coalition over the issue of recruiting women to the IDF. Gelman writes: "It is certainly possible that you Mr. Prime Minister is the one to blame and the major cause, due to your failing to sufficiently consider the religious sensibilities of the people of Torah and faith".
2. A lengthy letter by Ben-Gurion, in response to the above letter by Gelman, October 15, 1952 (typewritten on the Prime Minister's official stationery, with handwritten corrections; hand-signed by Ben-Gurion):" I hereby accept the claim that your words imply, that the sensibilities of people of Torah and 'faith' should be considered, however I add that such people must also consider the sensibilities of other Jews who do not think the same as them. There are no privileged in Israel, we are all considered princes and we all have a portion in the world to come…".
3-4. Two lengthy letters by David Ben-Gurion to Aryeh Leib Gelman, October-November 1954 (handwritten and signed by him). Sent in response to an article published by "S. Daniel" (Shabtai Don Yichyeh), editor of the Mizrachi journal, "HaTzofeh", claiming that Ben-Gurion cursed Jewish Orthodox leaders during a visit of members of the Bnei Akiva youth movement in his home in Sdeh Boker. Ben-Gurion responds: " The editor of 'Hatzofeh' is publicly disobeying one of the Ten Commandments that says: 'Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor', he is violating an explicit Torah prohibition that says: 'Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people'. He is disobeying an explicit Torah command: 'Keep far from a false matter'. And he does not do it in secret, but rather publicly, on the pages of 'HaTzofeh' journal, which advocates the sanctity of the Torah".
Enclosed is a printed copy of the letter from November 1954.
5. A letter by Aryeh Leib Gelman in response to the two above letters by Ben-Gurion, October 31, 1954 (typewritten on thin paper). A promise to conduct a "thorough examination" as to the article in "HaTzofeh".
6. Copy of a letter by Shabtai Don Yichyeh to Aryeh Leib Gelman, July 7, 1954 (typewritten on thin paper): "Mr. Ben-Gurion cannot stand his political and spiritual opinions being disputed…".
Six letters (two duplicates). Size and condition vary.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Unsold
A letter handwritten and signed by David Ben-Gurion, concerning the Lavon Affair ("The Unfortunate Affair"). Sdeh Boker, May 1, 1964. Hebrew.
In the letter, Ben-Gurion addresses the most important piece of evidence of the affair – a letter from 1954, which specifically mentions the "order" given by Defense Minister Pinchas Lavon (supposedly sent by Binyamin Gibli to the IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan). This piece of evidence was the focus of the discussions of the investigative committee regarding the question of who was responsible for the affair ("Who issued the order?") and immediately with its introduction, Lavon claimed it was a forgery.
The present letter contains an extraordinary reference by David Ben-Gurion, one of the opponents and accusers of Lavon, to the incriminating letter and its forgery: "Two authorized institutions […] determined that the 'forgery' is but libel […] two typewriters, which were used by the office of the Military Intelligence Directorate head in late 1954 were located and provided to Mr. Albert Hajaj (an expert on forgeries employed by the Israel Police) […] He identified the typewriter with which the letter was typewritten […] and in light of the expert's negative results – I conclude there is no evidence of forgery […] no case" (last two words in English). Signed: D. Ben-Gurion.
In 1965, Daliah Carmel, the secretary of Binyamin Gibli who headed the Military Intelligence Directorate (one of the main suspects of issuing the order), admitted that she had forged the letter after being threatened and pressured by Gibli. The question of the letter's authenticity and the identity of the issuer of the order is still debated.
Ben-Gurion addressed his letter to "Dear Haft" (presumably, Avraham Haft).
[2] ff. (two written pages). approx. 21 cm. (both mounted on one sheet of paper). Fair condition. Creases. Tears to edges. Stains and blemishes due to mounting.
In the letter, Ben-Gurion addresses the most important piece of evidence of the affair – a letter from 1954, which specifically mentions the "order" given by Defense Minister Pinchas Lavon (supposedly sent by Binyamin Gibli to the IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan). This piece of evidence was the focus of the discussions of the investigative committee regarding the question of who was responsible for the affair ("Who issued the order?") and immediately with its introduction, Lavon claimed it was a forgery.
The present letter contains an extraordinary reference by David Ben-Gurion, one of the opponents and accusers of Lavon, to the incriminating letter and its forgery: "Two authorized institutions […] determined that the 'forgery' is but libel […] two typewriters, which were used by the office of the Military Intelligence Directorate head in late 1954 were located and provided to Mr. Albert Hajaj (an expert on forgeries employed by the Israel Police) […] He identified the typewriter with which the letter was typewritten […] and in light of the expert's negative results – I conclude there is no evidence of forgery […] no case" (last two words in English). Signed: D. Ben-Gurion.
In 1965, Daliah Carmel, the secretary of Binyamin Gibli who headed the Military Intelligence Directorate (one of the main suspects of issuing the order), admitted that she had forged the letter after being threatened and pressured by Gibli. The question of the letter's authenticity and the identity of the issuer of the order is still debated.
Ben-Gurion addressed his letter to "Dear Haft" (presumably, Avraham Haft).
[2] ff. (two written pages). approx. 21 cm. (both mounted on one sheet of paper). Fair condition. Creases. Tears to edges. Stains and blemishes due to mounting.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Unsold
Approx. 170 letters, telegrams and paper items, mostly handwritten, and some printed, documenting the public activity and personal life of Dov Yosef – the governor of Jerusalem during the Israeli War of Independence and a minister in the first government of the State of Israel. Jerusalem and elsewhere, ca. 1910s to 1960s. Hebrew and English (a few items in Yiddish).
Including:
• Approx. 30 letters sent by Yosef to his wife and son, Goldy and Amiram, during the years 1947-1948. These letters, written during the War of Independence when Yosef served as the military governor of Jerusalem, provide a personal and extraordinary record of this historic period. Although his written Hebrew was faulty, Yosef was very strict about writing to his son only in Hebrew. In a letter from 4.1.1948, Yosef writes: "The Old City is almost cut off, no one comes in or out, since the Arabs put a barrier at the Jaffa gate and the [British] government is afraid to remove it […] what a low point has the government reached! It is hard to describe – it continues its policy of not touching the Arabs". Later in the same letter, Yosef refers to the Haifa Oil Refinery massacre, carried out by members of the Irgun: "The worst case was in the refineries thanks to the nastiness of the Irgun, who threw a bomb in a mixed workplace […] our men [members of the Haganah] do not kill Arabs for nothing". In a letter from February 1948, there is an interesting reference to Chaim Weizmann's political approach: "You complain about Dr. Weizmann's speech – certainly he should not have praised England just now, but he is an old man and it is hard for him to forget the love of his youth", and in another letter from the same month, Yosef sharply addresses the British Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin: "Bevin knows very well what he wants […] he would like the Arabs to destroy us, and that's not an exaggeration". One of the bluntest letters in the collection was written after the USA declared it was withdrawing its support of the UN partition Plan (March 1948): "Indeed another blow. Another betrayal […] England is the dog and the USA its tail…".
• Fourteen letters sent by Yosef to his son and a letter sent by his son during the years 1943-1945, when the son served as a soldier in the Jewish Brigade. In one of the letters, Yosef refers to Ben-Gurion's resignation as chairman of the Jewish Agency: "We are immersed these days in a domestic crisis related to the resignation of Ben Gurion, who announced he cannot be held responsible anymore for the political action… he insists on his resignation and does not want to retract it". In another letter, sent on Amiram's 21st birthday, Yosef writes: "I always imagined you at this age sitting in the university and acquiring knowledge… I have no other comfort but that this war is coming to its end… each time I see the actions of our youth, my deep faith in the future of our nation grows stronger".
• Approximately forty telegrams of condolence sent to Yosef after his daughter, Lila Naomi, was killed on 9.10.1948 during the battles of the War of Independence (Lila was a soldier of the third battalion of the Yiftach Brigade and was killed in an Egyptian air raid).
• Three notes presumably handwritten by Ben-Gurion, with personal messages to Yosef: a note urging him not to quit the government; a note requesting his help in the elections in Jerusalem; and a note with a short message – "May your hands be strong! Do and succeed".
• Approximately thirty-five notes handwritten by Yosef, some presumably written as speech drafts after the establishment of the State of Israel, addressing various issues (democratic elections, the achievements of the Mapai party) and some as various reminders.
• Eighteen letters and paper items from the 1910s and 1920s, documenting Yosef's early years (some of them written on official stationery of the Canadian Red Cross).
• Additional items.
Dov (Bernard) Yosef (1899-1980), an attorney and minister of the Israeli government, born in Montreal. During World War I, he played a part in organizing the Canadian volunteers to the Jewish Legion and in 1921 immigrated to Palestine. In Palestine, he joined the Mapai party, becoming the legal advisor to the Jewish Agency and representing it before the two British commissions of inquiry that dealt with Palestine – the Peel Commission and the Woodhead Commission. After the outbreak of World War II, Yosef was appointed head of the Center for the Enlistment of the Yishuv, coordinating matters related to Jewish volunteers in the British army. On August 2, 1948, in the midst of the War of Independence, Yosef was appointed to the most important position of his career – military governor of Jerusalem. The city was delivered into his hands in the midst of the siege, with its fate pending, and Yosef saw it his duty to support the residents and strengthen the status of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
After the war he was appointed Minister of Rationing and Supply and led the policy of austerity. In the following years he held a number of senior positions: Minister of Justice, Minister of Health, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transportation and other positions.
Enclosed are three large photographs: two photographs of Yosef at the convention for bringing Jewish refugees to Israel (New York, 1949); photograph of Dov Yosef and Ben-Gurion (captioned on verso in handwriting: "Midreshet Sdeh Boker – 1969").
Size and condition vary.
Including:
• Approx. 30 letters sent by Yosef to his wife and son, Goldy and Amiram, during the years 1947-1948. These letters, written during the War of Independence when Yosef served as the military governor of Jerusalem, provide a personal and extraordinary record of this historic period. Although his written Hebrew was faulty, Yosef was very strict about writing to his son only in Hebrew. In a letter from 4.1.1948, Yosef writes: "The Old City is almost cut off, no one comes in or out, since the Arabs put a barrier at the Jaffa gate and the [British] government is afraid to remove it […] what a low point has the government reached! It is hard to describe – it continues its policy of not touching the Arabs". Later in the same letter, Yosef refers to the Haifa Oil Refinery massacre, carried out by members of the Irgun: "The worst case was in the refineries thanks to the nastiness of the Irgun, who threw a bomb in a mixed workplace […] our men [members of the Haganah] do not kill Arabs for nothing". In a letter from February 1948, there is an interesting reference to Chaim Weizmann's political approach: "You complain about Dr. Weizmann's speech – certainly he should not have praised England just now, but he is an old man and it is hard for him to forget the love of his youth", and in another letter from the same month, Yosef sharply addresses the British Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin: "Bevin knows very well what he wants […] he would like the Arabs to destroy us, and that's not an exaggeration". One of the bluntest letters in the collection was written after the USA declared it was withdrawing its support of the UN partition Plan (March 1948): "Indeed another blow. Another betrayal […] England is the dog and the USA its tail…".
• Fourteen letters sent by Yosef to his son and a letter sent by his son during the years 1943-1945, when the son served as a soldier in the Jewish Brigade. In one of the letters, Yosef refers to Ben-Gurion's resignation as chairman of the Jewish Agency: "We are immersed these days in a domestic crisis related to the resignation of Ben Gurion, who announced he cannot be held responsible anymore for the political action… he insists on his resignation and does not want to retract it". In another letter, sent on Amiram's 21st birthday, Yosef writes: "I always imagined you at this age sitting in the university and acquiring knowledge… I have no other comfort but that this war is coming to its end… each time I see the actions of our youth, my deep faith in the future of our nation grows stronger".
• Approximately forty telegrams of condolence sent to Yosef after his daughter, Lila Naomi, was killed on 9.10.1948 during the battles of the War of Independence (Lila was a soldier of the third battalion of the Yiftach Brigade and was killed in an Egyptian air raid).
• Three notes presumably handwritten by Ben-Gurion, with personal messages to Yosef: a note urging him not to quit the government; a note requesting his help in the elections in Jerusalem; and a note with a short message – "May your hands be strong! Do and succeed".
• Approximately thirty-five notes handwritten by Yosef, some presumably written as speech drafts after the establishment of the State of Israel, addressing various issues (democratic elections, the achievements of the Mapai party) and some as various reminders.
• Eighteen letters and paper items from the 1910s and 1920s, documenting Yosef's early years (some of them written on official stationery of the Canadian Red Cross).
• Additional items.
Dov (Bernard) Yosef (1899-1980), an attorney and minister of the Israeli government, born in Montreal. During World War I, he played a part in organizing the Canadian volunteers to the Jewish Legion and in 1921 immigrated to Palestine. In Palestine, he joined the Mapai party, becoming the legal advisor to the Jewish Agency and representing it before the two British commissions of inquiry that dealt with Palestine – the Peel Commission and the Woodhead Commission. After the outbreak of World War II, Yosef was appointed head of the Center for the Enlistment of the Yishuv, coordinating matters related to Jewish volunteers in the British army. On August 2, 1948, in the midst of the War of Independence, Yosef was appointed to the most important position of his career – military governor of Jerusalem. The city was delivered into his hands in the midst of the siege, with its fate pending, and Yosef saw it his duty to support the residents and strengthen the status of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
After the war he was appointed Minister of Rationing and Supply and led the policy of austerity. In the following years he held a number of senior positions: Minister of Justice, Minister of Health, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transportation and other positions.
Enclosed are three large photographs: two photographs of Yosef at the convention for bringing Jewish refugees to Israel (New York, 1949); photograph of Dov Yosef and Ben-Gurion (captioned on verso in handwriting: "Midreshet Sdeh Boker – 1969").
Size and condition vary.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue
Auction 80 - Part I - Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture
June 29, 2021
Opening: $300
Sold for: $375
Including buyer's premium
A photograph of Yitzchak Rabin and King Hussein after their signing the Israel-Jordan peace treaty. Aqaba, October 26, 1994. Especially large print. Hand-signed by Yitzchak Rabin.
The photograph depicts King Hussein of Jordan lighting a cigarette for Yitzchak Rabin, after their signing the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, at his royal residence in Aqaba. The picture was taken by Yaakov Sa'ar.
Signed on bottom: "Y. Rabin" (Hebrew).
Approx. 60X95 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Captioned and numbered by hand on verso.
Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.
The photograph depicts King Hussein of Jordan lighting a cigarette for Yitzchak Rabin, after their signing the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, at his royal residence in Aqaba. The picture was taken by Yaakov Sa'ar.
Signed on bottom: "Y. Rabin" (Hebrew).
Approx. 60X95 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Captioned and numbered by hand on verso.
Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.
Category
Manuscripts, Autographs
Catalogue