26 issues of the journal “Lund Sweden,” edited by Pappa Sandberg, 1955-1964.
The issues were written in Swedish, and distributed regularly each Jewish holiday. They covered Jewish affairs regarding the renewed Jewish Land of Israel. The journals are accompanied by photographs portraying the Israeli experience of the mid-1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, in relation to different aspects of the holiday.
Some of the issues cover historical topics such as the Holocaust and Jewish communities around the world.
A rare series of issues, not appearing in the National Library.
Two of the issues are doubled. Some of the issues have stains. In overall good condition.
Or HaMussar journal , mouthpiece of the Novardok ‘Beit Yosef’ yeshivot in Poland. Piotrkow-Jerusalem-Tel Aviv. 1925-1938. Six booklets.
Content: Booklets: 9, 10, 14, 15, 16. The title page of booklet 15 is missing.
Unique Features: Especially rare booklets. Booklet 16 is not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. Booklets 1-7 were printed by stencil, not a single copy is known to have survived. Therefore, before us are six out of the nine known booklets.
Condition: Conditions vary. Overall fine condition.
Collection of 35 early, rare Torah anthologies and periodicals. Includes many first issues. Start of the 20th century – 1940s.
1. Digleinu – Literary anthology, mouthpiece of Orthodox youth in Poland. Shevat, 1922. Second year, issue 5. This issue includes the Maamar Elbona shel Torah by the Admor of Sokolov regarding the Zionist parties.
2. Ohel Torah – Torah monthly journal edited by Gershon Lapidut, with input from prominent rabbis and yeshiva students in the Land of Israel and around the world. Jerusalem. Year 1, Shevat 1926 – Av/Elul -1926. Issues 1-8 [beginning with the first issue published] and year 2, issue 1. Altogether 9 issues.
3. Synagogue Journal of the Beth HaMidrash HaGadol . Leeds, England. Issues 1-6, September 1944-June 1946.
4-6. Three anthologies of Torah, Literature and Philosophy, edited by Binyamin Glesner. “Pumbidita-Machoza” -1943; “Usha” – 1942, “Yavneh” – 1942. Published in Kolozhvar, Hungary.
7. “Chaduta Dishmatita” by Yekutiel Aryeh Kamelhar. Lemberg, 1912.
8. Ohel Moed – Talmudical compilation edited by Yekutiel Aryeh Kamelhar. Podgorze near Krakow, 1899.
9. Beit Vaad L’Chachamim , anthology of Torah novellae edited by Yosef Shimon Pollack, Satmar. Tishrei 1924, issue 24 – Elul 1924, issues 23-24. Altogether 20 issues.
10-11. Kol Yisrael . Monthly periodical for Torah and essays answering current questions published by the Histadrut Tzerei Agudat Yisrael, Jerusalem. Year 1, issue 1 Elul 1921 – Year 2, issue 2 Cheshvan, 1922.
12-14. Emek Halacha Torah compilation published once every two months. Edited by Simcha Elberg, Warsaw. Year 1 issue 1- 3rd of Nissan-Iyar 1926 Shevat Adar 1927, Year 3 issues 4-5 Shevat-Adar 1928.
15-16. Torah MiTzion . Monthly periodical edited by Rabbi Shimon Halperin. Jerusalem 1935 and 1936.
17. HaMeor . Monthly periodical dedicated to all branches of the Torah and Judaism, edited by M. Lisman. Tel Aviv Adar 1935. [Includes articles by HaRAY”H Kook and HaRav S. Y. Zevin].
18-20. HaKochav . Talmudic compilation edited by Yitzchak Sternhall, Brooklyn.
21-24. Degel HaRabbanim – Rabbinic, Talmudic anthology edited by Moshe Yehuda Kirshenbaum. Booklet 1 year 1 – Warsaw 1926; booklet 2 year two – Kislev 1927 Lodz ; Booklet 1 year 3 Lodz 1929.
25-27. Atidenu Monthly periodical for culture and education edited by Dr. Yechezkel Kaufman and Zvi Woyslawski, Berlin. Issues 1-3, January-March 1924.
28. Sefer HaVaad – compilation of necessary responsa from the leading rabbis of the time, manuscripts that were not yet printed, regarding issues relevant to practical halacha, edited by Reuven Lewinbuk. Piotrkow, 1914.
29. HaKerem – drush, elucidations and commentaries on the weekly Torah readings and holidays, with articles by leading rabbis and Torah scholars, edited by Kolonimus Kalmish Hoverband and Rabbi Shimon Yehuda Tropstein, Warsaw. First issue. Adar, 1927.
30. Ohr Torah – dedicated to Torah novellae regarding halacha and aggada, edited by Yosef Shaul Zucker, Chaim Dov HaLevi Madlinger and Reuven Horowitz. Issue 1. Lemberg, 1926.
31. Yavneh – monthly periodical for Judaism and literature. Lemberg, 1929. Issue 1 – year 1.
32-33. Yagdil Torah – Talmudic rabbinic anthology. Warsaw, year 1 – issues 1-2 [ Tishrei-Cheshvan 1927].
35. Ha’Orah – monthly periodical for Torah novellae in Torah, halacha, aggada … the central paper of the Mossad Tomchei Yeshivot HaOrtho in Transylvania, Romania. Edited by Aryeh Friedmann. Sivan, 1929. Year 1, issue 1.
Various sizes and conditions. Overall moderate – very fine condition.
Chamar – Gamal, a comic monthly publication edited by Itamar Ben Avi, the first and only issue published, Jerusalem 1909, published as a supplement of the “HaZvi” newspaper.
A Zionist monthly publication containing humorous texts alongside sarcastic ‘news’. Itamar Ben Avi was the first to bring western commercial norms to Israel, and brought a militant and sensationalist style. Among other things are cartoons in the form of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, and Aharoni the nature researcher.
[4] leaves. 30 cm. Stains. Slight tears. Moderate-fine condition.
* LaYehudim – “Iton Purimi, Naimi, Ti’imi, Intimi V’Anonimi,” Jerusalem 1923, ‘Editor: Gone.’ Issue No. 8. ‘ LaYehudim was the first humorous newspaper published in the Land of Israel, edited by Kaddish Yehudah Leib Sillman. Stains, fine condition.
* Vayzata – ‘Annual compilation published by Rechovot youth, the oldest “chutzpah” newspaper in Rechovot, for brazenness, mussar, Torah, and derech eretz: for questions of policy and zionism, practical and useless, for land and air, Jewish and Israeli, Hebrew and Arabic. Published once a year by a faction of clowns of the generation with a very, very limited guarantee.’ Editor-in-chief: Haman son of Hamdata, third year, third collection. A total of three issues were published. Stains. Fine condition.
Printed sermon delivered by Rev. de Sola Pool in the Sephardic synagogue ” Shearit Yisrael ” of New York on parashat Chayei Sarah, November 15, 1930. The sermon argues that the great innovations in the field of physics attributed to Einstein, along with his understanding of the material world, were embodied in Judaism long before, and were expounded more deeply and broadly than in Einstein’s great theories.
The sermon was articulated in sarcastic and critical language that negates Einstein’s world-renowned greatness, and is opened with words of cynical honor: “When Albert Einstein speaks, the world listens.” Rabbi Sola claims that Einstein’s theory of relativity is hinted at by several verses in the Psalms. He also claims that Einstein’s elucidations of verses with expressions of the Creator’s personification are mistaken in light of the correct interpretation, because he ignores Chazal’s principle, “The Torah speaks in human language.” He continues, quoting phrases from the hymn ‘Adon Olam,’ and the wording of the prayer service that express the smallness of man in the face of the Creator’s greatness, and attacks Einstein on basic elemental points in his thinking. The sermon is built in the form of debate, “Einstein tells us” on one side, and in opposition, the traditional Jewish worldview, embodied within the Writings in a manner far more profound and broad in comparison to the worldview of the great scientist.
This is an obscure sermon that was printed at the peak of the scientist’s world publicity [about two years before he emigrated to America].
Is not in the National Library, nor bibliographically listed.
Eight pages. 22 cm. Unbound. Slight tear in the margins of the leaves. The paper is slightly fragile. Fine condition.
Student’s paper from the “Bezalel Beit Medrash L’Melachot Omanut” for Zalman Levi Rosen, who entered the school in Elul 1926 and studied there for 13 days. The margins of the leaf feature the signature of Prof. Boris Schatz, the principal, along with the school stamp.
Size: 11×16 cm. Filing holes. Fine condition.
Collection of assorted letters from various cities throughout Poland, related to Jews, most are printed in Polish or Yiddish with handwritten supplements. 1900-1930.
Chaim Weiner’s membership certificate in the “League on Behalf of a Working Palestine in Poland,” 1931; immigration form from Warsaw; confirmation of a year’s study from 1914; employment confirmation for a babysitter; invitation to an evening of literature and art; fire insurance policy, 1918; deposit slip for 30 zloty in a Warsaw Bank; employment confirmation in the Children’s Aid Society in Chrzanow; letters written by Pinsker Shemitz; registration certificate from the Polish Interior Ministry, 1932; handwritten confirmation of employment as a teacher; documents from the children’s organization in Krynkach; confirmation of employment as a teacher in the Jewish school in Lublin, in Yiddish; handwritten document from the Polish wood factory; document from the immigration bureau in Warsaw; and other documents. Some of the documents feature Jewish names – Rubenstein, Leib Leibman [in Hebrew], Dr. Ilsa Mittelman and others.
About 30 documents in total, varying sizes and conditions.
The collection has not been thoroughly inspected.
Membership Card for the ‘Maccabee’ World Federation of Gymnastics and Sports 1927
The card is stamped twice and carries two renewal stamps for July-August 1927.
The world Maccabee movement was a zionistic sport movement established with the vision of Max Nordau which expressed the idea of a muscular Judaism. The first club was established in Constantinople in 1895. It was successful and similar Jewish clubs were established in European cities following it, with names such as ‘HaKoach,’ ‘Bar Kochva,’ and ‘HaGibor.’ The movement became worldwide in 1921.
Four pages. 13 cm. Creases and cracks. Fine condition.
Palestine Postal and Telegraph Administration (Land of Israel) July [1930]. Rare.
Single directory for all areas of the country including Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and ‘Other Centers’ [cities in the south and north]. Telephone numbers comprising only three digits.
The directory opens with ‘Essence of telephone service’ with extremely basic instructions about how to make a telephone call for those using a telephone for the first time in their lives. [Three sides participate in a telephone call, they are: you yourself, the center and the distant subscriber, a successful telephone call is possible only with these three sides, it is impossible without them.’] And basic instructions about how to use the telephone, how to converse and how to answer the call. After that is a list of ‘names of subscribers’ which opens with of the telephone numbers of ‘His Excellency the High Commissioner’ with the symbol of the British Mandate, a list of the telephone numbers of the ‘Government Departments’ [‘Agriculture and Forestry, ‘Deputy County Commissioner’s Offices,’ ‘Telephone numbers of the Army and Air Force’ and others].
Interesting telephone numbers can be found, such as that of the Jamal brothers [publishers of the famous postcards], Rothschild Hospital, the English Mission, ‘HaIvri’ Press, ‘The Ashkenazic Chevrah Kaddishah,’ ‘The Palestine Automobile Society,’ ‘United Elder Society,’ ‘The Hospital for Infectious Diseases,’ ‘HaBimah – The Hebrew Theater,’ ‘Asis, the Society for the Production of Fruits of the Land,’ and more.
As such, the directory includes price lists for international calls to Egypt, to Transjordan, intercity calls, postage rates for the Palestine Postal and Telegraph Administration, air mail, many advertisements, and more. Rare.
The various chapters are separated by dividers which were designed as part of the directory.
Brittle brown paper, rust marks near the staples, tears. Moderate condition.
Telephone directory for Jaffa-Tel Aviv, 1946.
Telephone numbers only have four digits. The page following the title page includes a chart with “instructions for turning the dial.” The directory includes Arabic surnames. At the top of each page there is instructions: Don’t say, “Hello, what’s your name?”; speak clearly; speak directly into the receiver; Wrong number? Say you’re sorry; if there’s no answer try again a little later; answer the telephone right away; hang up the receiver before dialing again; with any complaints, speak to the supervisor.
The directory includes interesting listings, such as: Spain – department for German relations; appointed government doctor; Israeli manufacturers union; Asis – Society for Israeli produce, and more.
One of the first telephone directories published for specific cities in Palestine [Prior to this edition, a one volume directory was sufficient for the entire country]. Telephone directories for the Northern and Southern cities were published in separate volumes in the 1940s.
76 leaves. 23 cm. Stained binding. Fine condition.
* The African Central Committee Jerusalem 1905, Salamon Press. The African Central Committee’s advertising brochure – united public enterprises, fathers of the settlement in Jerusalem for charity activities in the Negev Africa for the above institutions. Its income is from the Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes charity, Talmud Torah and Bikur Cholim, supporters and contributions. Four-page brochure, Hebrew, English and Yiddish with additional title page in English “The African Central Committee” with a list of institutions who support the committee and their missions. 14 cm. Very fine condition.
* Etz Chaim Calendar 1955 – Calendar with pictures of rabbinical leaders and quotes of their words regarding the exalted activities and the Torah importance of Yeshivat Etz Chaim. Quotes from each leader regarding Etz Chaim’s Talmud Torah and Yeshiva beside his picture. Pictures and quotes from, among others, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Maran the Chafetz Chaim, the Admor Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter of Gur, Sir Moses Montefiore and additional rabbis. pictures showing the Talmud Torah and Yeshiva are parallel to each page.
Unknown. Does not appear in the National Library.
[16] leaves. 15cm. Illustrated cover, front and back. Very fine condition.
Wall calendar with a detailed chart of the 613 mitzvot according to Maimonides. Printed by R’ Shmuel Yosef son of Yitzchak Finn and R’ Avraham Zvi son of Yosef Rosenkrantz.
The calendar is divided between the mitzvahs between man and G-d and the mitzvahs between man and his fellow, with a source for each mitzvah in the Torah, Talmud, Maimonides and commentaries. On the bottom, near the [Hebrew] title “Seder HaTorah V’HaMitzvah V’Tahlochotav,” are instructions for reading the calendar.
The copy in the National Library is missing some text. This copy is complete.
[1] leaf. Size: 68×48 cm. Fold marks, minimal tears. Stains.
Moderate-fine condition.
* Mafteach L’Kvoa Itim – calendar for 1850-2000 by L. Cohen. Published by J. Kauffmann, Frankfurt A.M. 1901. German and Hebrew. With the names of the Hebrew months and handwritten notes with yartzheit dates. [161] pages, 21 cm. Fine condition.
* Ewiger Kalendar – Calendar for 1900 by Lazar Rapaport, printed by Gebruder Brocker. Koln [Germany]. Printed leaf in a floral decorative border with instructions in German. Fold mark with light tear, fine condition.
Calendar for the year 5695 [1935], published by La Maison Maurice-Beer, Paris. The calendar was issued by the Director-General of the Jewish Funeral Homes – Administration Generale des Funerailles pour le Culte Israelite. The end of the calendar has several interesting additions- t he names of the rabbinical members of the Constituency of Paris, their roles and addresses, and kaddish in both for Ashkenazic and Sephardic versions.
The calendar does not appear in the National Library.
32 pages. 13 cm. Stains. Fine condition.
‘Etz Chaim’ Torah and Building fund. Jerusalem. Rare advertisement brochure of the fundraising foundation for the ‘Etz Chaim’ yeshiva and Talmud Torah in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Salomon Press, c. [1930] Yiddish and English.
The brochure contains photographs from the Etz Chaim neighborhood, the yeshiva building, students of the yeshiva and architectural plans for the ‘Etz Chaim’ building in Machaneh-Yehudah in Jerusalem. Letters of recommendation are brought at the end of the booklet – a joint letter signed in print by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, and an additional letter from Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Zeleznik and others.
In 1908 Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky initiated buying a large property in Machaneh Yehudah where a branch of the yeshiva in the old city was established. This booklet was intended to let people know the plans for the building of the yeshiva and kollel. The date is according to the bibliography.
25, [1] page. 24×16 cm.
Detached binding, faded and stained. Fine condition.
Volume containing 1-8 preparatory issues from the 20th through 31st of May, 1967 [the week and a half of preparation for war], and battle issues 1-3, from the 6th through the 9th of June, 1967 [the first three days after the outbreak of war]. Published by the air force command. Cover designed by Shamir
The issues offer a detailed review of the preparation for war, army preparations, strategies, ammunition and a description of various stages of war. Includes tens of photos from the war, some on entire pages; of soldiers, training, aerial photos of IDF bombardments, air force planes over Cairo, the Western Wall and more.
Altogether 11 issues. 38 cm. Fine condition.
Two emphatic letters with the signature of Golda Meir, b eginning of the 1950’s.
* Interesting letter from 23/5/1954 encouraging aliya and settlement, while she served as labor minister – stencil print with her signature. The letter is addressed to the minister of finance, then Levi Eshkol, in which she comes out against the claim by the Amidar company for new immigrant housing that it has completed its task, given that most of the immigrants are already in Israel. She ascribes the economic distress of the company as the true reason they desire to end their activity, and not the fact the most immigrants are already in Israel, and concludes: ‘We cannot cut off undertaking aliyah and settlement. I hope “Amidar” settles many more tens of thousands of immigrants in the State of Israel.’
Letter from 21/6/1953 on the topic of division of property in the Ein Charod farm. Stencil print with her signature. The letter is addressed to the secretary of the Histadrut labor federation, then Mordechai Namir. In the letter, Golda opposes the Histadrut’s authorization of distribution of property seized by force from members to the Ein Charod farm. ‘The agreement of the Histadrut to a situation like this will bring discord among the members and will cause “power struggles”.’
[2] leaves. Identical size. 22×16. Filing holes. Fold marks. Very fine condition.
Collection of 120 personal letters from the leaders of the State of Israel that were sent to the supreme court justice and state comptroller, Miriam ben Porat at different points in her career. Includes letters that she wrote at various opportunities related to a wide variety of subjects regarding her personal life and the public roles she filled. In addition to the letters related to her work, this collection includes official letters appointing her to the various positions she held [including the original document appointing her lawyer for the very first time in the Government of Palestine in 1945] and much more.
Highlights of this collection include: Ben Porat’s registration certificate as lawyer in Palestine from 1945 [in her maiden name, Miriam Shimshon]; official letter signed by Chaim Herzog and Minister of Justice, Moshe Nissim; congratulations from President Shimon Peres to Justice Miriam Ben Porat, when she won the Nachshonit Award at the conference “Activism from a Female Perspective,” with his signature; Ben Porat’s letter of appointment as Supreme Court justice on the 12th of Adar, 1977, signed by Efraim Katzir and Chaim Tzadok; letter of appointment of justice Dina Moyal as judge at the regional court signed by then President Moshe Katzav and Minister of Justice, Tzipi Livni; New Year’s greetings signed by Shmuel Tamir; New Year’s greetings signed by Dorit Beinish; Happy Passover greetings written and signed by Dov Shilansky; congratulations for an evening held in honor of Miriam Ben Porat, written and signed by judge Meir Shamgar; congratulations written and signed by Ora Namir; congratulations upon receiving the Israel Prize in 1968, written and signed by Shimon Agranat; letter from 1969, in which Dr. Joseph Burg extols Miriam ben Porat for her work assisting children, signed in his hand; letter from 1965 signed by Minister of Justice Dov Yosef; condolence letter following the death of her husband, written and signed by Amnon Rubinstein in August, 1990; New Years’ greetings from 3/10/1976 signed by Dov Shilansky [wishing her success in her new appointment to the Israeli Supreme Court “…when I was a boy, during the long winter nights in Shibli, we would gather together in the clubs of the youth groups (me in Beitar) and we would listen thirstily to the words of those slightly older than us, who would tell us about the Land of Israel and everything related to it, about the Zionist activity around us, and particularly in Kovno the capital, about the families that “breathed Zionism” and the special characters, and your family was among them (you’ll be surprised: I still remember their name and images from those days). In our youthful imagination, we saw these figures as giants. I met some of them in the Dachau camps and suddenly I saw them in reality, face to face, skinny, gaunt, skeletons, in our “slang”: they were muselmann…they were really giants – giants of the spirit. That’s the way I saw them in our daily battle for life, and as they died …”]; thank-you letter written and signed by Ben Porat to Miriam Bertonov [“the truth, the guilt, the pursuit of justice were always the elixir of life and the goal of our desires …], and other letters in her hand and with her signature; personal letter written and signed by justice Aharon Barak; another letter with his signature; letter signed by Minister of Justice Dov Yosef on the 4th of January, 1956; letter signed by Yitzchak Navon about the publication of Ben Porat’s deceased husband’s poems; letter signed by Shlomo Yifrach [“the truth is that I have admired you throughout the many years of our acquaintance”]; letter signed by Dr. Michael Dor; letter signed by Professor Amnon Rubinstein, letter signed by Dorit Beinisch; letter written and signed by Edna Arbel; letter written and signed by Eitan Haber; letter signed by Teddy Kollek; honorary invitation to a special meeting of the Knesset in honor of the president of The Republic of Croatia; official invitation to the funeral of Rechavam Ze’evi; letters written and signed by Yair Tzaban; and many other assorted signed documents. Among the letters we will mention an unusual letter in the handwriting of Joseph Menkes, who was accused of involvement in the murder of Kasztner and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence (which eventually earned him a pardon). In the letter, Menkes turns to Ben Porat in harsh language and in fact accuses her that for her career she sent her to prison for no fault of his own : ‘I had no connection and have nothing to do with the murder of Kasztner … Miriam Ben Porat went in the same way the Nazis, K. and. D. For the sake of her career, she has already received the salary promised to her now and she is judging at his own expense and at the expense of a mother with three children (Menkes’ wife and three sons), if this is justice. And after a few days … he pulled out a pistol and wanted to shoot Miriam Ben Porat. The prosecution and the police and all of them put together all that will not reveal the lies … Miriam Ben Porat did all the dirt on my account for the coolness promised at my expense and at the expense of a mother with three children, if that is the justice and the path of the State of Israel. Where is the justice of the people of Israel …? ‘ [Joseph Menkes, 1917-1994, was a member of underground activity in the Zerifin underground. He was charged with involvement in the murder of Dr. Israel Kasztner in 1957 and sentenced to lengthy imprisonment, but eventually was pardoned.
Miriam Ben Porat [1918-2012] was a justice in the Israeli Supreme Court and State Comptroller in the 1990s. She was the first woman to fill these roles in the State of Israel. Over the decades of her career she received many honorary prizes and accolades for her public activities.
The collection has not been thoroughly inspected. Overall very fine condition.
Four issues of newspapers reporting historic events in the annals of the State of Israel, signatures of the leaders who led these events appear on the title page of the newspapers of each event. 1967-1986. From Avi Rubenstein’s collection.
* ‘Yediot Acharonot’ from 7/6/1967 – victory day of the Six Day War, headlined: Ramallah is Conquered – Egyptian Tanks in Retreat, secondary headline: ‘Yesterday, Egypt Lost 200 Tanks. IDF Victories on the Jordanian Front.’ Yitzchak Rabin, then chief of staff, signed on top of the newspaper’s headline. Two signatures in his handwriting appear.
* ‘Yediot Acharonot’ from 23/3/1979 – Peace treaty with Egypt, headlined: ‘The Historic Moment has arrived: Peace Treaty with Egypt’ with a large picture of Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin and President of Egypt Anwar Sadat. In the margins of the newspaper, Begin attached a short blessing ‘With heartfelt blessings’ and signed his name ‘Menachem Begin.’ A letter written by Begin is attached to this newspaper, from 26/7/1981, in which he wrote ‘I admit, I’m seeing this picture for the first time, and it’s nice,’ and he signed his name. [The original envelope in which the letter was sent is attached.]
* ‘Yediot Acharonot’ from 7/6/1982, the issue that announced the conquest of Beaufort, headlined: ‘Beaufort Stronghold in IDF’s Hands, Tyre Beseiged, Sidon Isolated.’ The signature of the chief of staff who commanded the operation, Refael Eitan [Raful] is in the right margin.
* ‘Yediot Acharonot’ from 24/7/1986, Peace talks with the Moroccan government. Headline: ‘The Meeting Between the King of Morocco and the Prime Minister of Israel: First Photograph’ and a picture showing the prime minister of Israel, Shimon Peres, and his host, King Hassan II in the palace at the Ifrane Summit. Peres wrote on the picture: ‘To Avi Rubenstein, with my utmost blessings’ and his signature, ‘Shimon Peres.’
Source: Avi Rubenstein Collection. Attached: ‘Yediot Acharonot’ issue from 23/12/2014 which carried an article about the collector, Avi Rubenstein, whose hobby was to collect leader’s signatures on important historic documents. [In which he relates ‘Every time something big happened in the country, I would go buy the newspaper and look for a way to get it signed. As a boy, I was already very aware of all that was happening in Israel and the world, and I followed events closely … it was very exciting to receive the newspapers signed by these very personalities.’]
The newspapers are preserved in very fine condition.
Giant collection of documents and letters [mosty stencil prints with signatures] published by the administration of the Beit Knesset HaGadol in Tel Aviv regarding the administration of financial and cultural aspects of the synagogue. 1930s-1980s.
Include rare booklets published by the trustees and administrators of the synagogue in the 1930s and 1940s:
* Seder Tefilat Hodaya V’Azkara L’Chalalei Ameinu BiYom Nitzachon 27th of Iyar 1945 . The prayer was led by Cantor Joshua Dlin with choir conducted by Joshua Dlin – booklet with special prayers marking the end of the Second World War. Rare.
* Chazon Binyamin ben Yaakov – speech delivered by the noted philanthropist, patriarch of the new yishuv in Eretz Yisrael, Baron Binyamin Edmond Rothschild [whose donation enabled the completion of the synagogue in 1925], in the Tel Aviv Beit Knesset HaGadol on the 23rd of Iyar 1925. The booklet was published in 1945 to mark the twentieth anniversary of his speech and the tenth annivesray of his death on the 24th of Cheshvan 1935. Worming holes.
* Din V’Cheshbon shel Chevrat L’Gemillut Chassadim named for HaRav Yevzerov z”l on the 30th of Elul, 1937. Tel Aviv. This booklet includes a printed list of loan amounts that were returned to the synagogue fund and a lengthy list of donor names.
* Chevrat Ein Yaakov V’Shas. Tel Aviv, without year – 1930s. The booklet includes the bylaws of the “Ein Yaakov V’Shas Society” of the Beit Knesset HaGadol in Tel Aviv, including the names and addresses of its members.
* Yizkor leaf published by the synagogue for the Holocaust victims – Erev Yom Kippur 1949. Preface describing the loss [about six million Bnei Yisrael, ten times more than the number that left Egypt, sanctified G-d’s name with their death. Along with a yizkor prayer with unique text “millions of Yisrael, men women little boys and girls that were killed and slaughtered, burned and drowned, strangled and buried alive in Germany and countries that it captured …]
It additionally includes original documents regarding the day-to-day administration of the synagogue: hundreds of receipts with requests to borrow funds, including the names of the borrower and personal details – 1950s-80s; ledger with donor names; ledgers from the synagogue Gemach fund; protocols of the Gemach fund official meetings; bylaws of the Ein Yaakov and gemilut chassadim societies, printed by stencil; letters to borrowers who did not pay back their debts [‘since you have not responded to previous warnings and have again not yet paid according to what was agreed and promised by your dear mother, you are demanded to pay for the last time the rest of the debt from the loan that you received from us’]; letters printed by stencil on behalf of the the Vaad Beit Knesset to the representive of the Beit Knesset HaGadol in Britian and representative of Barbados Mr. Teddy Binyamin Reitman – Iyar 1980 – and letters from him to the synagogue administration; various letters from the synagogue administration to the central administration of the bank A”Y in Britain asking for funds to cover the increase of activities in the synagogue and to increase cultural activities over and above the lectures and prayers [1970s] with various financial details [we also want to note that this magnificent lofty synagogue from which the light of Torah shines forth is an economic boon since it draws thousands of tourists and guests, Jews and non-Jews who visit annually…]; invitation to a festive thanksgiving prayer on Yom Haatzmaut 1967 with a scheduled speech by the Chief Rabbi of Israel Isser Yehuda Unterman.
The cornerstone of the Beit Knesset HaGadol in Tel Aviv , on the corner of Allenby and Echad Ha’Am Streets, was laid in 1924. The Synagogue was designed by architect Yehuda Magidovitch. Construction was completed in 1925, when a large donation was received from Baron Rothschild. The building was designed by the best engineers of the era – builder Shmuel Nosson Wilson and its dome engineered by Arpad Geuthe. Over the years, many changes and renovations were made to the building. In addition to hosting prayers and Torah lectures it was also used for cultural and communal events. Each week, the synagogue hosts neighborhood rabbis, city rabbis and well-known lecturers alongside MKs, public figures and foreign tourists. Every Shabbat famed cantors lead the prayers, and are often accompanied by choirs.
Hundreds of leaves of paper within original synagogue binders. The collection has not been thoroughly inspected.
Varying conditions: Moderate-very fine.
Interesting collection of 16 autographs [and pictures] of presidents, prime ministers, and senior officials in various countries worldwide. When various presidents visited Israel, notebook leaves were designed, on each of which is picture of the visiting president [usually a photograph from the media, with the exception of two original photographs], his name, the date of his visit and his position. On the left hand side of the picture, the various presidents signed their names. The signatures were collected punctiliously during presidential visits in Israel between 1960-1965, during their terms of office.
Amongst others are the handwritten signatures of the prime minister of Western Nigeria, Samuel Ladoke Akintola; the president of Madagascar Philibert Tsiranana [known as the ‘father of independence’ for his country]; the president of Costa Rica Francisco José Orlich; prime minister of Sweden Mr. Tage Fritjof Erlander [died in 1985, served as prime minister of Sweden for 23 years – the longest term of office of a prime minister in a democratic country]; the commander of the Congo army Dsera Josef Mobuto; the president of Liberia William Tubman; the president of Congo Joseph Kasavubu, the first president of the Republic of Congo, served as president for 5 years [with original photograph]; the first president of the Central African Republic, David Dacko [who led a dictatorial regime];president of Cameroon Ahmadou Ahidjo; Danish Prime Minister Viggo Kampmann [dubbed the ‘drunk prime minister’ because of his habit of drinking wine]; president and prime minister of Dahomey Justin Ahomadegbe Tometin [with original photograph]; prime minister of Suriname Severinus Desiré Emanuels; Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen, and others.
[16] signed pages 20×16 cm. Filing holes. Fine – very fine condition.
Nuovi regolamenti e costituzioni della Compagnia di חסד ואמת della nazione ebrea di Firenze. The new bylaws of the Chessed V’Emet society of the Firenze community. Florence, 1801. [2] 19 pages, 20 cm. Wide margins. Italian. In Hebrew on the title page: Chessed V’emet. Tens of Hebrew words within the bylaws. Original jacket. Very fine condition. Lunario ebraico per l’anno 5623. Jewish calendar for 1863. Venice, [1862]. 24 pages, 11.5 cm. Italian. Detailed pocket calendar. Not in the National Library and not in the large public libraries worldwide. Original jacket. Very fine condition.
* Kol Bo L’Talmid, Sefer L’Kol Kis, calendar, 1926. HaSefer publishing, London, Paris 1926. Includes tens of pictures of personalities printed on special paper. * HaChaver. Practical, literary calendar for students and the public, for 1929 Jerusalem. [1928]. Includes much historic material, poems, illustrations and more. Some of the leaves are colored. * Lashon V’A’aretz, Textbook for school and homework for students. By F[anny] Shargorodsky. Includes 106 pictures from life in Eretz Yisrael. Berlin, 1930. 118 [2] pages. Uncommon. * HaSafa V’Ha’aretz, Section 1, Hebrew textbook. By Fanny Shargorodsky. Tel Aviv, 1933. Pictures. * HaChinuch, education its essence and main points, translated into Hebrew by Dr. Y. L. Baruch. Berlin. Published by Eit Livnot. 1923. Original, cloth binding. Various sizes. Fine-very fine condition.
