Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
- manuscript (49) Apply manuscript filter
- book (40) Apply book filter
- chassid (37) Apply chassid filter
- letter (20) Apply letter filter
- luminari (12) Apply luminari filter
- centuri (11) Apply centuri filter
- document (11) Apply document filter
- earli (11) Apply earli filter
- th (11) Apply th filter
- art (10) Apply art filter
- art, (10) Apply art, filter
- ceremoni (10) Apply ceremoni filter
- draw (10) Apply draw filter
- drawings, (10) Apply drawings, filter
- graphic (10) Apply graphic filter
- jewish (10) Apply jewish filter
- object (10) Apply object filter
- various (10) Apply various filter
- aggadah (8) Apply aggadah filter
- esther (8) Apply esther filter
- halachah (8) Apply halachah filter
- kabbalah (8) Apply kabbalah filter
- kabbalah, (8) Apply kabbalah, filter
- manuscripts, (8) Apply manuscripts, filter
- music (8) Apply music filter
- music, (8) Apply music, filter
- parchment (8) Apply parchment filter
- religion (8) Apply religion filter
- research (8) Apply research filter
- research, (8) Apply research, filter
- scienc (8) Apply scienc filter
- scroll (8) Apply scroll filter
- prayer (7) Apply prayer filter
- siddurim (7) Apply siddurim filter
- 14 (6) Apply 14 filter
- 14th (6) Apply 14th filter
- 15 (6) Apply 15 filter
- 15th (6) Apply 15th filter
- autograph (6) Apply autograph filter
- incunabula (6) Apply incunabula filter
- rabbi (6) Apply rabbi filter
- 16 (5) Apply 16 filter
- 16th (5) Apply 16th filter
- israel (4) Apply israel filter
- italian (3) Apply italian filter
- jewri (3) Apply jewri filter
- state (3) Apply state filter
- zionism (3) Apply zionism filter
- map (2) Apply map filter
- palestin (2) Apply palestin filter
Collection includes:
• Ten letters by Cecil Roth (handwritten or typewritten, with his signature) and over 60 letters by his wife Irene (half of them mailed after his death). Letters addressed to their friend in Jerusalem, the collector and researcher Ezra Gorodetzky, most of them dealing with personal matters.
• "Mahzor" (prayer book) for Yom Kippur (New York, 1939), bearing Cecil Roth’s signature in Hebrew and English.
• Siddur (prayer book) for Sabbath and Festivals (New York, 1960), inscribed by the editor and translator Rabbi David de Sola Pool (1885-1970), rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City.
• Roughly a hundred booklets and offprints of articles written or edited by Cecil Roth, as well as newspaper clippings and journal issues with articles written by him, mostly dealing with the history of the Jewish people, including "The Jew as a European" (with a signed dedication); "Handlist of Hebrew manuscripts... in the collection of Cecil Roth" (1950); four issues of "The Jewish Woman's Review" with articles by Roth (London, 1950); "The Cecil Roth Oxford Haggadah" (New York, 1963); "Haggadah of the Chinese Jews" (New York, 1967); "Memorial Booklet to the Community of Frankfurt am Main" (Hebrew, Jerusalem, 1965); and more.
• Cecil Roth’s bookplate, "MiSifrei Bezalel Min Ha’Adumim Ex Libris Cecil Roth, " designed by the German-born Jewish artist Hermann Fechenbach. Seven copies.
• Photograph of Cecil Roth in his study at the University of Oxford, framed along with his business card, bearing his signature in Hebrew and English.
• Letter from Cecil Roth (printed; signed by hand) regarding a collection of "ketubot" (marriage contracts), Esther scrolls, and other items of Judaica, addressed to Rabbi Stuart Rosenberg (1922-1990), rabbi of the Beth Tzedec Congregation of Toronto, Canada. Jerusalem, July 1966.
• Cecil Roth’s business card, bearing his address on Balfour St. in Jerusalem.
• Invitation to the home of Cecil and Irene Roth in Jerusalem, to view a portrait painting of the "Ba’al-Shem of London" (the kabbalist Rabbi Hayyim Samuel Jacob Falk, 1708-1782) by the English painter John Singleton Copley. Printed in Hebrew and English, with an addendum handwritten by Roth in English.
• Prayer booklet ("A Memorial Service") in memory of Cecil Roth, published by London’s (Spanish-Portuguese) Bevis Marks Synagogue (1970).
• A biography of Cecil Roth entitled "Cecil Roth, Historian Without Tears: A Memoir" by Irene Roth (New York, 1982). Inscribed by Irene Roth on title page.
• Notes handwritten by Cecil Roth, in addition to envelopes, cards, newspaper clippings, and numerous other items.
Also enclosed: • Cecil Roth’s personal document holder (made of leather, imprinted with his name in gilt letters in the bottom right corner. • Roughly 30 letters from Ezra Gorodetzky, addressed to Cecil and Irene Roth. • Additional ephemera.
Professor Cecil (Bezalel) Roth (1899-1970), among the greatest of Jewish historians, and chief editor of the Encyclopaedia Judaica. Born in London; received a traditional Jewish education and upbringing. Married Irene Rosalind Davis. Studied at the University of Oxford, and completed his doctorate there in 1924. Served as professor of Jewish studies at Oxford from 1939 to 1964. During this period he published hundreds of articles and dozens of books, translated into numerous languages. His research focused on the histories of the Jewish communities of Italy and England; on the history of the Jewish people in the Middle Ages and Modern Era; and on Jewish art, bibliography, and the philosophy of history. Was a member of two British royal societies, namely the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Literature. An enthusiastic collector of Judaica, also renowned for his rich art collection. Immigrated to Israel and settled in Jerusalem, having been invited to serve as visiting professor in the Department of Jewish History at Bar-Ilan University following his retirement from Oxford in 1964; the invitation to Bar-Ilan generated fierce opposition in religious circles, who claimed his writings were "offensive to Jewish tradition." Passed away in 1970. His funeral was attended by members of the State of Israel’s leadership, including President Zalman Shazar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi ("Rishon LeZion") Yitzhak Nissim, and other leading figures. His brother was Leon (Hayyim Judah) Roth (1896-1963), who served as a professor of philosophy first at Manchester University, and subsequently at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Approx. 250 items. Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.
Collection of items – including handwritten letters, a eulogy for Salman Schocken, and a story draft – sent by S.Y. (Shmuel Yosef) Agnon to authors, editors, and various persons of note. 1930s to 1960s. Hebrew.
The collection contains handwritten letters by Shmuel Yosef Agnon, addressed to Benjamin Tammuz, David Yellin, and Rabbi Kurt Wilhelm, all written in his inimitable style of language. The letters include poetry, written in rhyme, addressed to David Yellin; indignant grievances against acts of literary plagiarism ("All those who call themselves 'Agnon’ and are not members of my family"); a request for assistance in proofreading ("Save me from errors"); and various appeals regarding literary matters. Also in the collection is a eulogy – typewritten and signed by Agnon and sent by him to the newspaper "Haaretz" – for Salman Schocken; and a draft copy of Agnon’s story for children entitled "Sippur Na'eh MiSiddur Tefilati" ("My New Prayerbook", typewritten and sent by Agnon to the author Benjamin Tammuz for copyediting).
1. Brief letter handwritten by Agnon and addressed to David Yellin. Mostly in rhyme, in elegant Hebrew block script: "To the wise one distinguished by his virtue and his manner / [and by his] Poetry of the Sacred Tongue and the Law of the Living God / Who has brought me to the Garden of Parables and Riddles / And his fruit is immeasurably sweet to my palate / For this shall I thank [and praise] his name – Agnon S.Y. [1930s?]. [1] f.
2. Letter handwritten and signed by Agnon, on his official stationery; addressed to the Chief Rabbi of Stockholm, Dr. Kurt Wilhelm (1900-1965). In this letter, Agnon points out that the author Benjamin Tammuz is planning to visit Stockholm, and suggests that in exchange for the update Tammuz will provide him regarding the goings-on in the Land of Israel, the rabbi should serve Tammuz as a "spiritual guide to Stockholm and the entire Kingdom of Sweden." 1950. [1] f. Original addressed envelope enclosed.
3-4. Draft copy of a story for children entitled "Sippur Na'eh MiSiddur Tefilati" ("My New Prayerbook"), written by Agnon (first published in the 1930s); Typewritten, with erasures, corrections, and handwritten addenda (inserted in handwriting, probably by Benjamin Tammuz).
Also enclosed is a letter from Agnon to Benjamin Tammuz (typewritten and personally signed by Agnon): "I lost myself in the midst of all the tiny letters and amongst the numerous errors, and I therefore sat down and wrote most of the text using a typewriter, with which I am unfamiliar, and you, in your goodness, you who are versed in copyediting and accustomed to bearing the burden of authors, [be so kind as to] give yourself a bit of patience for the purpose of copyediting the article and [thus] save me from [those] errors!" 1955. 10 ff. + [1] f.
5. Letter handwritten and signed by Agnon, addressed to Benjamin Tammuz. The letter deals with various literary matters. 1958. [1] f. Original addressed envelope enclosed.
6. Letter handwritten and signed by Agnon: "Dear Doctor, I hereby present to you my story for the Rosh HaShanah issue [of the newspaper]. This story was already published in Haaretz a half a generation ago... I prepared this story for [the journal] 'Molad, ’ but seeing as I have no other story available, I am sending you this one. As for you, do as you please. I shall not view myself as having been insulted if either you or Mr. Schocken return the story to me..." (this letter was apparently addressed to Dr. Jacob Horowitz, editor of the literary supplement to the newspaper "Haaretz"). 1959. [3] ff. (cut out from envelopes).
7-8. Eulogy delivered by Agnon for Schlomo Salman Schocken ("The story of his life represents a shining example of the strength of the Jewish man"), typewritten (with a number of handwritten corrections and instructions for the printer), signed in pencil by Agnon. The eulogy was sent to the offices of the "Haaretz" newspaper; also enclosed is the letter sent by Agnon to Gershom Schocken, the newspaper’s publisher and editor-in-chief and son of Schlomo Salman (typewritten and hand-signed by Agnon). 1960. [3] ff. + [1] f.
9. Letter handwritten and signed by Agnon, addressed to Benjamin Tammuz. 1962. In this letter, Agnon expresses his frustration regarding the literary plagiarism to which his book "Yamim Nora’im" ("Days of Awe") is being subjected: "I meticulously gather whatever they pilfer from my book 'Yamim Nora’im, ' and commandeer as if deriving [them] from various sources, and play [the words] on their [own] fiddles, to serve their [own] agendas..." At the end of the letter, Agnon wearily bemoans that "my archives are already filled with [the works of] wise men and authors and with entire books such as 'Sefer HaMo’adim’ and the like. May the Lord never see fit to forgive them... nor any of those who call themselves 'Agnon’ and are not [members] of my family." [1] f. Original addressed envelope enclosed.
10. Letter handwritten and signed by Agnon, addressed to Benjamin Tammuz: "I’ve spent almost a [full] year searching for the address of [the author] Margaret Benaya. A thousand folks have promised me they would find [me] her address, but as is customary among our contemporaries, not one of them has fulfilled his promise. I would have liked to write to her about her book... [but would] you [be so kind as to] write my words to her [for me] [...] for after all, my handwriting is illegible." 1964. [3] ff. Original addressed envelope enclosed.
Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.
Schlomo Salman Schocken (1877-1959), founder of the Schocken Publishing House (Schoken Verlag) and publisher of "Haaretz" newspaper. One of the most influential figures in molding the character of Jewish/Hebrew culture in Israel. Throughout his life, he generously offered his sponsorship to some of the greatest minds shaping the renewal of the Hebrew cultural landscape. This sponsorship included such personalities as Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber. But by far the most beloved of his protégés was the author S.Y. Agnon; Schocken stood by him every step of the way, took care of him financially, and published his works.
Salman Schocken labored tirelessly to familiarize the entire world with Agnon’s writings; even prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, he organized a lobby whose goal was to advance Agnon’s candidacy for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The profound impact of Agnon’s novel "Tmol Shilshom" (1945) contributed significantly to these efforts. Once it was published, Schocken managed to get Rabbi Dr. Mordecai Ehrenpreis, Chief Rabbi of Stockholm, to join the lobby. Another key figure in the campaign to promote Agnon was Rabbi Dr. Kurt Wilhelm, a member of the Schocken Library staff who went on to succeed Ehrenpreis as Stockholm’s chief rabbi following the latter’s passing. Schocken tasked Wilhelm with the job of gathering all the required material and coordinating all the necessary efforts in preparation for the submission of Agnon’s candidacy. Wilhelm also made arrangements for Agnon to visit Sweden in 1951, announced his impending arrival in the Swedish media, and arranged meetings for Agnon with Swedish cultural figures, and with the leadership of the local Jewish community, all in the hope of raising awareness of Agnon’s greatness among the general public in Sweden. This flurry of promotional activity went hand-in-hand with efforts on the part of Salman Schocken (joined later by his son Gershom) to translate and circulate Agnon’s literature throughout the world, with special emphasis placed on Germany, the United States, and Sweden.
It took a number of years for all these efforts to bear fruit, with Shai Agnon being named Laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature (which he shared with poet Nelly Sachs) in 1966, after Kurt Wilhelm and Shlomo Zalman Schocken had both passed away.
Comprehensive study on the subject of Palestine and its history in accordance with the Bible and New Testament, by Thomas Fuller (1608-1661), English churchman, historian and author.
The book features 30 engraved plates (most of them double) including an engraved title page and a frontispiece illustrating the heraldic emblems of aristocratic families; large map, folded, of the Holy Land; a map of Jerusalem and maps charting the territorial boundaries of the Twelve Tribes of Israel; plates with plans and illustrations portraying the Temple in Jerusalem; and more.
Fuller based his work on maps by Christian van Adrichem, adding numerous illustrations and decorations of his own. The maps are adorned with the heraldic emblems of aristocratic families, and bear dedications to patrons and philanthropists who assisted Fuller in publishing the book.
[8], 434 (more than 434; mispagination), [1], 202, [17] pp. 30 engraved plates. (most engraved plates. included in pagination), 33.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor blemishes. Stains and tears to map of Holy Land. Tears, incl. open tears, to several additional engravings (mended with paper). New binding, with parts of original binding laid down; blemished (with tears and abrasions).
The Survey of Western Palestine was conducted between the years 1872 and 1877 by teams of researchers, surveyors, and British army personnel, all belonging to the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF), who completed – for the first time in the history of Palestine – a survey of virtually every acre of the land, from end to end, using modern surveying techniques. The survey enabled the publication of the Palestine Exploration Fund map (1880), one of the most important maps in the cartographic history of Palestine, regarded as the "mother of all modern maps" of the country, followed by the publication of an extensive series of volumes of studies documenting and detailing the finds and discoveries of the survey. These publications include three volumes listing each and every settlement, river, architectural structure, or hill identified by the surveyors; a single volume devoted to Jerusalem; a detailed survey of the fauna and flora; a comprehensive listing that includes thousands of place names in Arabic; and more. Most of the volumes also include numerous illustrations, maps, drawings, and plans (either on separate plates or in-text); some of these were colored by hand.
The present set includes eight volumes of the first edition, containing numerous plates and illustrations, some of them colored by hand. Seven volumes bear labels indicating "special edition"; these labels give the copy number – 234 – of the set, and are personally signed by James Glaisher, head of the PEF's executive committee. In addition to the eight volumes, this lot also includes a copy of the special edition of the survey map.
1-3. Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology, by C.R. Conder and H.H. Kitchener. Three volumes. Vol. I – Galilee: x, 420 pp. + [30] plates (one folding); Vol. II – Samaria: [1], vii, 455 pp. + [22] plates; Vol. III – Judaea: vii, 450 pp. + [21] plates.
4. Arabic and English Name Lists, listing thousands of Arabic names for places and sites, and Arabic inscriptions, along with transcriptions into English and explanatory comments by E.H. Palmer. 1881. [1], v, 438 pp.
5. Special Papers on Topography, Archaeology, Manners and Customs, Etc., by Charles Wilson and other authors. 1881. vii, [1], 362 pp.
6. Jerusalem, by Charles Warren and C.R. Conder. Volume devoted to a survey of Jerusalem. 1884. vii [i.e. ix], 542 pp. + [10] plates (one plate missing).
7. The Fauna and Flora of Palestine, by Henry Baker Tristram. Volume devoted to a survey of the fauna and flora. 1884. xxii, 455 pp. + xx pls (13 of them colored by hand).
8. A General Index, by H.C. Stewardson. 1888. [2], 164, [2] pp.
Eight volumes, approx. 28 cm. Condition varies.
Enclosed: An additional volume of PEF publications, from the second edition (this particular volume is missing from the present set): Memoir on the geology of Arabia Petrae, Palestine and adjoining districts, by Edward Hull. 1889.
9. Biblical edition of the survey map: Map of Western Palestine, from surveys conducted for the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund … Special edition, illustrating the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and Josephus. London: Stanford's Geographical Establishment, 1882.
The survey map, marked with sites mentioned in the Bible and Apocrypha, and in the writings of Flavius Josephus.
Large map: Approx. 158X95 (divided into 30 separate sections), laid down on canvas, folded, and housed in original slipcase. Good condition. Minor stains. Blemishes to slipcase.
Barkai [The Morning Star], by Naftali Herz Imber. Jerusalem: M. Meyuhas Press, 5646 [1886]. Hebrew and some German.
First book of poems by Naftali Herz Imber (1856-1909), notably including the earliest known printed version of his poem "Tikvatenu" ("Our Hope"), which would in time develop into "Hatikvah, " the anthem of the Zionist Movement, and ultimately the anthem of the State of Israel. Copy inscribed by Imber to the "revivalist of the Hebrew language, " Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
Dedicatory inscription (partly cropped) on verso of title page, handwritten in Hebrew by Imber: "To my wise friend, the linguist... of the periodical HaZvi in Jerusalem. [...] The renowned wordsmith from the ranks of the Jewish sages [...], Ben-Yehuda. This booklet is a memento from the author."
Inked stamps on title page and on several additional pages (Hebrew): "House of Reading and [Home of] the Book Collection, Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt and reestablished" / "Beit Sefarim Livnei Yisrael... Yerusahalayim..." ["House of Books for the Children of Israel in the Holy City of Jerusalem..."]. The library known as "Beit Sefarim Livnei Yisrael" was established in Jerusalem by a group of scholars led by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda in 1884 (upon its closing in 1894, its book collection was transferred to the Midrash Abarbanel Library, which eventually evolved into the National Library of Israel.)
In 1886, prior to the publication "Barkai, " Imber published the following advertisement in Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's Hebrew-language newspaper, "HaZvi" (2nd year, Issue No. 36): "There is a book with me among my writings [to] which I have given the title ‘Barkai' [...] Any printer who wishes to purchase it from me in order to publish it should contact me..." Underneath the advertisement, an "Editor's Note" was printed: "We have seen these poems which have been written by Mr. Imber, and [regard them] in keeping with the principle to which we adhere, ‘Look upon the vessel and relate not to its creator' [in a play on words on the chorus of the well-known liturgical poem for the Day of Atonement, ‘Ki Hineh KaHomer']. It is incumbent upon us to state that the spirit of lofty poetry hovers over them; their thoughts are pleasant and desirable. The language in them is pristine and clear, and the ideas are exceptional. Many of these poems are worthy of becoming national songs. In general, these poems are faithful national songs, writings of a distinguished poet."
VI, [2], 127, [1] pp., 15.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, mostly to first and last leaves. Tears, some open and some long, to title page and to several other leaves, mostly restored with paper or mended with adhesive tape. Handwritten notations to some pages. New binding and endpapers.
The Writing of "HaTikvah" – National Anthem of the State of Israel
According to his own account, Naftali Herz Imber wrote the first draft of the words to the poem then known as "Tikvatenu" ("Our Hope") in 1877-78 while he was living in Iași, Romania. But a different source, cited by the Hebrew-language "Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel" (p. 1586), states that the original words were written in 1886, while Imber was thoroughly inebriated, having drunk profusely in the course of the Purim festivities at the colony of Gedera. According to this source, Imber arose from his stupor to declare that he had "just now composed the first two verses to our national song, which shall give expression to our hope." Subsequently, while touring the various colonies of Palestine, Imber altered the words and added verses. Eventually, the work was published in its final draft (for the time being) in Imber's collection of poems titled "Barkai" ("The Morning Star"). Roughly a year after the publication of the collection, Shmuel Cohen (1870-1940), one of the young pioneers of Rishon LeZion, took an existing melody and set it to the words of the poem. Cohen's work was an adaptation of a traditional melody with Slavic roots, associated with Romanian coachmen. The Czech composer Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) made use of an almost identical tune as the central theme to his famous symphonic poem "Vltava" (also known as "The Moldau").
With its new melody, the song was enthusiastically adopted by the settlers of the colonies. From there it traveled to Europe and was quickly embraced by the Zionist Congresses, to be sung at the conclusion of each congress. Years later, the song was renamed "Hatikvah" and the Hebrew lyrics gradually underwent a number of changes. The main changes were introduced in 1905, when the line "to return to the land of our fathers, to the city where David had encamped" was exchanged for "to be a free people in our country, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem"; and the words "the Age-Old Hope" were turned into "the Hope ["Hatikvah"] of Two Thousand Years." Though not officially sanctioned at the time, neither by law nor decree, the first two verses of the song became almost universally accepted, with few if any dissenting voices, as the national anthem of the Jewish people. In 1933, Hatikvah gained recognition as the anthem of the Zionist movement. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, it was unofficially adopted as the national anthem. This recognition was not officially grounded in law until 2004.
(See: Eliyahu HaKohen, "Od Lo Avda Tikvatenu" ["Our Hope has Not been Lost"], "Ariel, " Issue No. 186, January 2009 (Hebrew), pp. 101-104.)
Naftali Herz Imber was born in Złoczów (today Zolochiv), Galicia (then a region of the Austrian Empire, today part of Ukraine). He was given a traditional Jewish education up to his teenage years, but while still a youth he embraced the "Haskalah" (Jewish Enlightenment) movement, and shortly thereafter, Zionism. After wandering through Eastern and Southern Europe, taking on various occupations, in 1882 he chanced upon the Christian Zionist author, journalist, and British Member of Parliament, Sir Laurence Oliphant (1829-1888), to whom he dedicated his book of poetry, "Barkai." Oliphant happily took the young poet under his wing, and brought him along when he took up residence in Palestine, where Imber served as his personal secretary. In Palestine, Imber was mostly supported by Oliphant and his wife, Alice. Following the passing of Alice Oliphant, Sir Laurence left Palestine, and Imber was deprived of his patron. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his wandering lifestyle, visiting India and spending time in London before finally settling in the United States. He died in New York in 1909 and was buried there, but was reinterred in Israel, in Jerusalem's Har HaMenuhot Cemetery, in 1953.
1. Flag depicting a synagogue congregation uplifting the Torah scroll on the holiday of Simchat Torah; and on the other side, portraits of Theodor Herzl and Max Nordau alongside seven boys bearing flags and some of the lyrics to the (Hebrew) song "Se'u Ziona Nes Va-Degel."
2. Flag with some of the lyrics to the Zionist anthem "Hatikvah" alongside an illustration depicting seven youths bearing flags; and on the other side, illustrations of Moses holding up the Tablets of the Law and the High Priest, alongside some of the lyrics to the (Hebrew) song "Se'u Ziona Nes Va-Degel."
3. Flag with illustration of Moses holding up the Tablets of the Law with one hand and a flag with the lyrics to "Hatikvah" with the other hand; on the other side, some of the lyrics to the (Hebrew) song "Se'u Ziona Nes Va-Degel."
Average size: approx. 25X22 cm. Condition varies, from fair-poor to fair-good. Dry, brittle paper. Flag no. 1 in fair-poor condition, with numerous tears (some open), stains, creases, and wear. Some tears mended. Tears to flag nos. 2 and 3. Missing corner in flag no. 2. All three flags matted (openable), secured to matte with strips of adhesive tape.
For additional information regarding the present flags, see: Nitza Behroozi Baroz, ed. and curator, and Gania Dolev, ed. and production, "Flags of Simchat Torah: from Popular Jewish Art to Hebrew-Israeli Culture, " exhibition catalogue, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, 2012, pp. 18-20, 87, 142.
Included in the collection:
• Anitta Müller-Cohen's travel journal of her journey to Palestine: Some 165 typewritten pages (various types of paper; unbound), with handwritten comments and corrections. In this journal, Müller-Cohen describes her experiences (in first person) of the journey to Palestine she made with her husband, Samuel (Sam) Cohen, and daughter, Blanka Müller, in the years 1926-27. A handwritten note in German appears at the top of the first page: "Palästina Tagebuch, 1. November 1926-27" ["Palestine Diary, November 1, 1926-27"]. To the best of our knowledge, this journal has never been published in book form. It contains intriguing documentation regarding the Yishuv (Jewish community in Palestine) in the mid-1920s. Müller-Cohen records her impressions regarding the places she visited, among them Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem (including a visit to the Hebrew University then recently established on Mt. Scopus), Tiberias, Safed, Ekron, Nahalal, Beit Alpha, Petah Tikvah, and many other sites, and writes about her meetings and encounters with both new immigrants and veteran residents, with inhabitants of cities, villages, and colonies, and with prominent personalities and officials such as Vladimir Ze'ev Jabotinsky (p. 73; Müller-Cohen speaks of her deep disenchantment with his militaristic approach to solving the country's problems), Meir Dizengoff (p. 75), Judah-Leib Magnes (p. 113), Henrietta Szold and others.
Müller-Cohen describes in great detail the work of Jewish women's organizations in Palestine, citing statistical data; the work of various international Jewish bodies (including WIZO, Hadassah, the Joint Distribution Committee, and other organizations); the Yishuv's educational system, and health and employment services; and both immigration and emigration. The journal reflects Müller-Cohen's personal sensitivity regarding the social matters she dealt with through most of her life – first in Austria and then in Palestine – as well as her practical approach to the Yishuv's burning issues, including treatment of orphans, problems of education and hygiene, food and housing shortages, unemployment, and other matters. She also relates to her own efforts to contribute to existing projects involving the development of the land and its institutions.
Müller-Cohen's account is imbued with a fascination over the sights she witnesses – of the vitality of the new Yishuv as well as of the country's landscapes: "The colors are breathtaking all the way through; anyone who hasn't [personally] experienced the brown color of the earth, the green of the fields, and above all, the blue of the skies, could never imagine [these things]; the hues of all these colors is spectacular" (p. XVI); "In Petah Tikvah we saw the monument above the graves of four pioneers, a [simple] obelisk, encircled by beds of flowers, with four names engraved upon it, and a [single] line of eulogy stating, ‘they fell for the sake of the land of their forefathers.' So often does one come across such lines of eulogy; they are engraved on the headstones of Jewish soldiers in all the cemeteries of Europe. But how different is the impact of reading such lines in the Land of Israel! Here one is inspired with the feeling that these four young Jews truly and genuinely gave their lives for the sake of the native land they so earnestly loved" (p. XVII). Alongside words in this spirit, the journal also contains criticism of conditions in the Yishuv. Among other things, Müller-Cohen writes: " In general, one sees here too little of the ‘New Man' ostensibly created [here] in the Land – from a moral, social, and national standpoint – and too much of the ‘Alte Golus' [the ‘Old Diaspora']. Even the socialist ways of life of the ‘kevutzah' [forerunner of the kibbutz] did not organically sprout here, from the soil of the Land of Israel; rather, they represent imitations of existing economic models that have in most respects already been tried in Europe" (p. 56).
The journal is incomplete; its pages are numbered, and based on the numbering it is apparent that pages are missing from the middle and end.
• Typewritten reports of various welfare organizations operating in Palestine (some bearing the handwritten label "Tagebuch" [journal]; one of these is signed by hand by the Zionist activist Hadassah Kalvari).
• Seven albums, with roughly 450 newspaper clippings (some dated by hand) mounted onto their leaves,
documenting the work of Müller-Cohen on behalf of public causes – both articles she had written herself and articles written about her – published in newspapers in Austria and other places, mostly from the 1920s. Most of the articles are in German.
• Album containing roughly 70 photographs of the Müller-Cohen family. Some are labeled by hand and dated to the 1920s.
• Handwritten report (by Müller-Cohen herself [?] on the official stationery of the Association of Immigrants from Germany and Austria), dealing with the subject of Jewish immigrants from Austria. [1930s].
• Additional items.
Size and condition vary. Overall fair condition.
Anitta Müller-Cohen (1890-1962), Zionist social activist, social worker, journalist, and politician, native of Austria. During World War I, she was involved in rescue and welfare operations on behalf of mothers, orphans, refugees, and the homeless. In recognition of her efforts during this period, she was awarded a Medal of Honor by Emperor Karl I. In addition to activity in the field of social work, she was active in Zionist affairs and journalistic reportage, and campaigned on behalf of women's rights. She was one of the first women to be elected to Vienna's city council (the "Wiener Gemeinderat").
Müller-Cohen traveled extensively in the course of her tireless public activity, journeying throughout Europe, the United States, and Palestine (the present travel journal documents one such expedition to the latter). Immigrated to Palestine in the 1930s, where she continued her social activism, serving as head of the Mizrachi Women's Organization and as president of the Austrian Immigrants' Association. Enlisted as a member of the Etzel (Irgun Tzva'i Le'umi; National Military Organization) and later was affiliated with the Herut party. Passed away in Tel Aviv.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Bank of Israel issued Israeli lira (pound) bank notes that featured prefixes – a letter, or combination of a letter and digit, appearing to the left or right of the unique serial number of each separate bank note.
The prefixes appeared on Israeli lira bank notes belonging to the first three series, namely the Landscapes Series (Series A), the Allegoric Figures Series (Series B), and the Personalities Series (Series C). On bank notes issued later in time, prefixes did not appear next to the serial numbers. Independent research conducted by bank note collectors revealed that a sum total of 1160 different prefixes were printed; the bank notes bearing prefixes were documented by the collector Rafi Nahum in a booklet (in Hebrew) entitled "The Prefixes and Series in the Bank Notes of Israel 1927-2004" (2005, enclosed).
The present collection – assembled meticulously over a period of almost 20 years – includes each and every one of the 1160 different prefixes. A collection as exhaustively complete as this is exceedingly rare.
1160 bank notes, including: • 16 500-perutah bills, 1955. • 16 one-Israeli-lira (pound) bills, 1955. • 18 5-Israeli-lira bills, 1955. • 33 10-Israeli-lira bills, 1955. • Two 50-Israeli-lira bills, 1955. • 42 one-half-Israeli-lirabills, 1958. • 147 one-Israeli-lira bills, 1958. • 41 5-Israeli-lira bills, 1958. • 101 10-Israeli-lira bills, 1958. • 64 50-Israeli-lira bills, 1960. • 298 5-Israeli-lira bills, 1968. • 64 10-Israeli-lira bills, 1968. • 93 50-Israeli-lira bills, 1968. • 225 100-Israeli-lira bills, 1968.
Condition varies. Roughly 70% of the bank notes are in AU-UNC Condition. Detailed information regarding the condition of the various bank notes will be submitted upon request.