An extensive collection of documents, photographs, philatelic items, works of art, immigration certificates to Palestine, propaganda publications and other items documenting the detention camps in Cyprus and the immigration of the detainees to Israel. Cyprus, Palestine, USA and elsewhere, ca. 1946-1949.
Including:
• Broadside issued by the "The Committee of the Hebrew Community of Haifa" protesting against the decision of the Mandate authorities to deport the illegal immigrants to camps in Cyprus. [1946].
• Approximately 20 envelopes sent to and from internees in Cyprus, some bearing Palestinian, Cypriot and other postmarks, and some bearing inked stamps of camp secretariats (Hebrew), inked stamp of the "Central Post Caraolos", and more. • Letters by internees of the camps in Cyprus and letters sent to them, including a telegram sent from Sweden to a female internee at the Famagusta camp in Cyprus.
• Greeting cards and various publications of the "Committee for the Exiles of Cyprus".
• Receipts and documents for donation of funds, a book drive and other initiatives for the internees in Cyprus.
• Membership cards of the Gordonia Young Maccabee movement and the "Poalei Eretz Yisrael" party at the camps in Cyprus.
• 13 illustrations and sketches made by internees at the camps, including still-life exercises and portraits made by the students of Naftali Bezem's art workshop, illustrations documenting life in the camps and caricatures about the internees' situation. These include works signed by artists whose works appeared in the album "In the Cyprus Exile" (see next item) – David Tashamovsky, Peretz Weinreich, Dov Roterman and others. • A woodcut titled "Liberation Cyprus" depicting a Jewish family behind barbed wire, made by the Jewish-American artist Leon G. Miller.
• Notebooks that were distributed by the Joint to the children of Cyprus (one containing a reading journal written by an illegal immigrant in the camps of Cyprus. German); a Hebrew textbook "for the children of Israel in the camps of Cyprus" (printed in Cyprus. Stamped with the stamp of the Joint); personal details questionnaire and knowledge assessment for the schoolchildren of Cyprus; school registration form for the children of the religious schools at camp 70.
• Commemoration leaf (taken from a booklet) in memory of Hashomer Hatza'ir member Shlomo Chaimson, who was shot during an attempted escape from a Cyprus camp.
• Ketubah DeIrkhesa (replacing a previous Ketubah that has been lost) written for the couple Yosef, son of Ya'akov and Chaya, daughter of Menachem Mendel at the "Jewish detention camp near the city of Dhekelia in the island of Cyprus". Stamped with the Hebrew stamps of the "Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus" and the "Committee of Rabbis of the Exiles of Cyprus". [December 1947]. • Birth certificate for the birth of Sarah Shadlezki, the daughter of Yosef Shadlezki and Chaya Shadlezki, née Elmer (presumably, the same couple for which the aforementioned Ketubah was written), also issued by the "Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus" and the "Committee of Rabbis of the Exiles of Cyprus". September 1948.
• Six certificates for immigrants from Cyprus, issued by the immigration department of the Jewish Agency.
• Approx. 15 philatelic items bearing the special postmark "Welcome" (Hebrew), celebrating the closure of the Cyprus camps. The stamp depicts the map of Cyprus alongside ships flying the flag of Israel. January-February 1949.
• Approx. 50 photographs, mostly press photographs and photographs from private albums documenting the arrival of camp internees to Israel in July 1948 and early 1949. A small portion of the photographs document life at the detention camps in Cyprus.
• And more.
Approx. 140 items. Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.