Zionism & Palestine

The First Hebrew Book Printed in Jerusalem

AZULAI, Hayyim Yosef David. SEFER AVODAT HAKODESH. Jerusalem: Israel Bak, 1841. Two title pages, [5], 222pp. First title page relaid. Later boards. Very Good condition in custom clamshell case.
$ 4500

This is the first Hebrew book printed in the Holy City of Jerusalem by the People of the Book. Avodat Hakodesh, was written by the famous scholar and mystic, Rabbi Hayyim Yosef David Azulai, and is a compilation of seven treatises formatted into a complete integrated work focusing on moral teachings, ethical principles and meditations for individual instruction. How appropriate that this should be the first Hebrew book to be published in Jerusalem, a city characterized by the prophet Isaiah who spoke "for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and its ethical teachings from Jerusalem."

First Travelogue of the Holy Land Published in Jerusalem... and the First Book about Jerusalem published in Jerusalem

[HOROWITZ, Hayyim] HIBAT YERUSHALAYIM [LOVE OF JERUSALEM] Jerusalem: [Published under the regime of the Sultan Abdul Maagid] Press belonging to Moshe and Yehudit, 5604 [1844]. [2], 60 leaves. Text in Hebrew. Title page illustrated with a woodcut of Jerusalem and the Western Wall. Original marbled boards, leather spine, some wear to covers. Very Good Condition overall.
$ 7500

This book was "written specifically for the edification of the Jews in the Diaspora," so that they might begin to know what the Holy Land was like and how it was situated in relation to the Bible. This book is the First Edition of the first book about Jerusalem published in Jerusalem. It represents the first attempt by its residents to convey to Diaspora Jewry, the significance of Jerusalem and its holy places and to link the global community spiritually and physically to the Land of Israel.

"We all owe the small heroic group of our brothers in Israel gratitude and admiration because they have achieved on their own that which is theirs by right" —Albert Einstein

EINSTEIN, Albert. TYPED LETTER SIGNED to Siegfried Hessing. November 24, 1948. 1 1/4pp., front and back. Very Good condition.
$ 9500

In the original German. Einstein writes to Siegfried Hessing, Polish writer and student of philosophy concerning Hessing's proposal that Einstein write a forward to his book on Baruch Spinoza. Einstein opens his letter acknowledging the continued suffering of Hessing and his fellow Jews in the Cyprus Displaced Persons Camp while awaiting transport to the State of Israel. He empathizes "with all the painful experiences" Hessing is undergoing. "...I am happy for you that this episode of suffering will surely change soon into an existence under more normal conditions. Then Einstein declares: We all owe the small heroic group of our brothers in Israel gratitude and admiration because they have achieved on their own that which is theirs by right."

The Reform Movement's Opposition to a Jewish State

(ANTI ZIONISM BY AMERICAN JEWS) RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS at Chicago, Ill., July 4th, 1918, Anent the Balfour Declaration. Small circular/broadsheet, measuring 81/2 x 5 1/2". Blank verso. Fine condition.
$ 950

The Reform Movement's announcement of opposition to a Jewish State serves as an important footnote to the history of Zionism. Conscientiously issued on July 4th (clearly emphasizing American ties), and within seven months of the passing of the Balfour Declaration, the CCAR representing the position of Reform Judaism in America proclaimed: We are opposed to the idea that Palestine should be considered the homeland of the Jews. Jews in America are part of the American nation. The ideal of the Jew is not the establishment of a Jewish state...Numerous printed names appear below the statement, headed by the Chairman, Edward N. Calisch.

A Rare and Exceptional 17th Century Wall Map of The Holy Land

(MAP) KOHLER (J.G.) Iudaea seu Terra Sancta , quae Hebraerorum [sic] sive Israelitarum Terra in suas duodecim tribus divisa. [Augsburg, c. 1700]. Large folding engraved wall map in 3 sheets joined with added title in German. Spectacular image size measures 24 1/2" x 47". Preferred old hand coloring. Some expert repairs and strengthening of centerfolds. Exquisitely floated and framed with archival linen matting. Very Good Condition.
$ 18,500

LARGE DECORATIVE MAP OF THE HOLY LAND RARELY SEEN ON THE MARKET. This map is oriented toward the East (at the top) with the Mediterranean Sea along the bottom. Two inset maps at the top corners show the travels of Abraham and the wanderings of the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt. Important place names and decorative motifs throughout.

The usual large size (four feet horizontal) combined with unusual beauty, and the fact that this is likely a separate publication not found in any atlas or Bible makes this map highly desirable and important. Published under the patronage of Fr. Caccia, commissioner-general for the Holy Land in the Holy Roman Empire (c. 1690-1700), this map is not found in any of the standard carto-bibliographies of Laor, Rohricht, Tobler, and British Library Maps. It is truly Rare and Beautiful.

The Most Important Book in Modern Jewish History
Herzl's "Der Judenstaat"

HERZL, Theodor. Der Judenstaat. Versuch einer Modernen Losung Der Judenfrage. [The Jewish State, An Attempt at a Modern Solution of the Jewish Question.] Leipzig und Wien: M. Breitenstein, 1896. 86pp. Text in German. Lacking wrappers as usual. A Very Good copy. Custom clamshell case
$ 8800

FIRST EDITION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK IN MODERN JEWISH HISTORY. This is Herzl's epochal call for the establishment of a Jewish State as a national home for the Jewish people. Herzl's position stood in opposition to the two prevailing attitudes of his day: assimilation and isolationism. Herzl's stance differed: "by his work he transformed the Jewish people from a status of passive community into a positive political force." (PMM 381) As a direct result of the impetus provided by this manifesto, the Jewish State was established within almost 50 years in the Land of Israel.

(THEATRE PROGRAM) THE LIBERATION OF JERUSALEM, Theatre Program. Civic Auditorium, San Francisco: J.C. Marshall Printer. Saturday Night, May 24. N.d. [ca. 1918]. 4pp. in program booklet format measuring 9 1/4" x 6". Text printed in red and black ink. Front cover image of Richard the Lionhearted looking down on the Holy City. Very Good Condition.
$ 125

Theatre program of the Grand Historical Pageant and Play performed at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco with over "800 costumed performers engaged in dramatic situations and gorgeous tableaux." This glorious extravaganza was inspired by the entry of General Allenby and his troops into Jerusalem on December 10, 1917. The 20th century liberation of the Holy City was dramatically paralleled with that of Judas Maccabeus on the same date in the year 165 B.C. The proceeds from this pageant were donated to the returned British and Canadian soldiers in California (Discharged Soldier's Aid Committee) and the Victoria Memorial. Printed on the verso is a copy of the Balfour Declaration entitled above "The Charter of Zionism". A very scarce piece of ephemera.

Historic Newspaper: The People Declare The State of Israel

[NEWSPAPER] YOM HAMEDINAH. [DAY OF STATEHOOD]. A Joint Edition of the Country's newspapers. Friday, Iyar 5, 5708, May 14, 1948, 4PM, The Last Day of Foreign Rule. One Page, printed on both sides. Measures 22 5/8" x 16 7/8". Hebrew text. Illustrated. A Very Good copy, slight creasing and age toning. Archivally matted and framed.

ORIGINAL HISTORIC BROADSIDE PRINTING, printed on Independence Day, a joint edition of all the country's newspapers. The Headline reads: "The People Declare The State of Israel. On the 29th of November, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed the resolution authorizing the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel-- So, by reason of our natural and historic right, we hereby proclaim the establishment of a state in the Land of Israel, which is the State of Israel."
From the lead article: "The State of Israel will be open to Jewish immigration and the Ingathering of the Exiles. It will be vigilant in the development of the Land for the benefit of its inhabitants. It will be based on the foundations of freedom, justice, and peace in the light of the vision of the Prophets of Israel. It will establish complete social and political equal rights for all its citizens without distinction to religion, race or gender. It will ensure freedom of religion, conscience, education and culture. It will protect the holy places of all faiths and will be faithful to the principles of the United Nations charter... We call upon the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the building of its state and to accept the State of Israel into the family of nations...
Additional headlines and articles include: Annulment of all White Paper Laws, the complete Text of the Declaration of the Establishment of The State of Israel, a description of the historic proclamation ceremony, and the movement of the Israel Defense Forces. Front page illustrations include a large portrait of Herzl, a picture of the First Temporary Jewish Government in its initial session, and smaller individual portrait-photographs of Weizmann, Ben-Gurion, Shertok, and I. Greenbaum. A complete English translation of the newspaper is provided.

(NEWSPAPER/FACSIMILE) YOM HAMEDINAH. 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Issue. Printed by Historicana, Burlingame, CA., 1997. Facsimile reproduction of the above. Framed in lucite showing both sides
$ 250

Printed front and back in four colors, retaining original browning and aging tones, on high quality glossy stock in original size. This piece is available in custom made double-pane lucite framed ready for hanging, showing both sides of newspaper. A great presentation gift! A complete English translation provided.

The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

SZYK, Arthur. The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Multi-colored lithographic print illuminated by Arthur Szyk. Image size measures 14" x 18 1/2". Printed during the early years of Statehood. Accompanied by English translation. Fine Condition. Archivally matted.
$ 250

THIS HISTORIC PROCLAMATION is illuminated in brilliant colors by Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) in his famous medieval illumination style. Szyk's miniature vignettes surround the central text of the Declaration and record a visual history of the Jewish people and the newborn State. Images include: the pioneer who sows the land, the soldier who defends the land, Moses with Aaron and Hur, Ezekiel the prophet who called for the restoration of the land made more poignant in light of the Holocaust which is symbolized by the skulls (dry bones), King David the first King in Jerusalem, and the symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel. Highly suitable for framing, extremely attractive, and perfect as a presentation gift.

Broadside Announcing Permanent Registration in Israeli Army
Following the War of Independence

(ISRAELI MILITARY BROADSIDE) Order to Exchange White Cards. Jerusalem: Mobilization Center Management, 14 Tammuz 5707 [July 21, 1948]. Measures 18"x 24". Text in Hebrew. Slightly fragile, yet Very Good Condition.
$ 500

Issued two months after the beginning of the War of Independence, this broadside announcement by the Defense Department Mobilization Center advises young men on the policy of exchanging their (temporary) White Cards for permanent draft card certificates. The text reads in part: "It is hereby ordered that all men who reported for duty at the Draft Office since December 1947 and received white duty cards must report to the Draft Office (7 Ben Yehuda St.) in order to exchange their cards for a permanent draft card... After this date the military police will be authorized to arrest any person carrying a white draft card."

Szyk's Visual History, Signed

SZYK, Arthur. Israel [from The Visual History of Nations Series]. Signed by Arthur Szyk. Published by K. Bileski. Lithography by Herman Jaffee. New York, 1949. Accompanied by a descriptive legend identifying the graphics and symbols. Image size measures 8" x 6 1/2". Paper size measures 11 1/2" x 9 3/4". Fine Condition.
$ 300

FIRST EDITION Lithograph. Signed in blue ink, lower right, in full, "Arthur Szyk." This uniquely designed composition in Szyk's brilliant medieval miniaturist style united Biblical heroes and contemporary Israeli pioneers and soldiers in a visual history celebrating the creation of "The Jewish State". Several Hebrew phrases are found within the context: "The crown of a good name." "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?", and the shehecheyanu prayer of thanksgiving to commemorate the birth of the new State.

Israel is one of nine illuminations in the Visual History of Nations Series completed by Szyk before his death in 1951. This series, commissioned by Canadian, Kasimir Bileski, was created to serve as unique title pages to an international stamp album. With the original signature, this piece is very scarce.

Mexico supports young Jewish State

(MEXICO/ISRAEL POSTER) Israel, 2 Conferences by Vincente Lombardo Toledano. Mexico: Taller de Grafica Popular, 1951. Measures 37" x 27". Text in Spanish. Very Good Condition. Rare.
$ 750

This four color poster by Alberto Beltran and Fanny Rabel of the legendary Taller de Grafica Popular (TGP) illustrates a group of cheerful emigrants walking through fields on their way to the new country of Israel. Farmers wave to them from the rows and a new building is rising in the background. Undoubtedly this poster announces lectures to be given on behalf of fund-raising for the infant Jewish State. The TGP, an enduring artistic collective created in 1937 by a group of enthusiastic, revolutionary artists has always had as its aim, the dissemination of information (social, political, artistic) to the public masses. Their influence has been widespread and highly successful for over 50 years.

(TRAVEL POSTER) Vers L'Europa. L'Artzot Europa [text in Hebrew]. (Travel to Europe). Haifa, Chypre, Venise, Marseille. Cie Francaise De Navigation. Printed in France. SMAP Marseille, (circa 1955). Image measures 39" x 24 1/2". Professionally linen-backed. In green, various shades of blue, white, red, and gray. Fine Condition.
$ 750

This very uncommon travel poster, in French and Hebrew, was evidently a cooperative effort by French and Israeli tourist bureaus to promote tourism between the two countries. A huge cruise ship is seen making its way through the waves in the shape of Israeli and French flags. French-Israeli relations reached its friendly peak with the Sinai campaign in 1956, during which France was Israel's largest supplier of arms. There also developed a whole network of cooperation in the world of technology and science. Travel and cultural cooperation between the two countries is symbolized by the colorful and peaceful parting of the seas in this attractive travel poster.

Ben-Gurion on Reconciliation Between the Jewish People and the Germans
Historic Broadside and Autograph Letter

BEN-GURION, David. Broadside: Adenauer Meeting a Disgrace and Danger for Israel! Issued by Israel Communist Party Central Committee. Tel Aviv, 14.3.1960. In Hebrew. Bright yellow broadside printed in bold black letters, measuring 18 1/2" x 24 1/2". Very Good Condition. Pair of items:
$ 1250

The broadside reads in part: "Chancellor Adenauer heads a neo-Nazi Government, that is responsible for a wave of anti-Semitism and for carrying the swastika in Bonn... the action of Ben-Gurion, which generated a great deal of publicity for the meeting with Adenauer in New York, is a Jewish gift validating the heir and successor to Hitler's policies... this is a knife in the back... it is a disgrace and shame on Israel... The Adenauer-Ben-Gurion conspiracy is a danger to the security of our country..."

[This broadside is offered with:] BEN-GURION, David. Autograph Letter Signed. Jerusalem, August 17, 1966. On lined note paper. One page in Hebrew. Very Good Condition.

Three years after leaving office, Ben-Gurion writes to "The Society for Dialogue between Israelis and Germans" in Tel-Aviv. One of Ben-Gurion's most controversial acts as Prime Minister was to reach an agreement with Germany over Holocaust reparations. This letter shows Ben-Gurion's continued interest in building bridges to the "new" Germany. "I am happy that such a Society has been founded and as far as my free time permits, I will try to help this effort as much as I can."

EINSTEIN, Albert. Typed Letter Signed to Siegfried Hessing. November 24, 1948. 1 1/4 pp. Very Good.
$ 9500

EINSTEIN CELEBRATES STATEHOOD WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONTINUED SUFFERING IN THE CYPRUS DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS. Einstein writes to Siegfried Hessing, Polish writer and student of philosophy concerning Hessing's proposal that Einstein write a forward to his book on Baruch Spinoza. Einstein opens his letter empathizing with "all the painful experiences" Hessing and his family have undergone, as at this time they were confined to a Jewish detention camp on Cyprus awaiting emigration to Israel. "...I am happy for you that this episode of suffering will surely change soon into an existence under more normal conditions. We all own the small heroic group of our brothers in Israel gratitude and admiration because they have achieved on their own that which is theirs by right."

That Einstein and Hessing were known to each other for some years is confirmed by the existence of at least a dozen letters exchanged between them; the earliest (1932) first seeking Einstein's assistance for a critical work on Spinoza. When conditions in Czernowitz, Poland became too grim, Hessing sought help in emigrating with his wife and son. Forced to remain in Poland for the duration of the Holocaust they eventually boarded a ship for Palestine. The British intercepted them in the Dardanelles and arranged an internment (along with more than 51,000 other Jews) in a camp on Cyprus for a period of 18 months. Here Hessing continued his scholarly work.

"...(I) HAVE ALWAYS STRIVEN... FOR THE GREATEST POSSIBLE SIMPLICITY IN CONTEMPLATION AND WAY OF EXPRESSION." Einstein denies Hessing's application for a preface to this work on the grounds that "...Unfortunately I feel incapable and unqualified to do so. The reason is that your way to describe conditions and things is so different from my own that I cannot honestly support it- as a (human being) man, who has always striven with a sort of fanaticism for the greatest possible simplicity in contemplation and way of expression."

This letter confirms the importance of Einstein's stature to his fellow Jews. That assistance was sought (either granted or not) is proof of his willingness to intervene in matters both mundane and critical. Of most specific interest, is the attempt by Hessing to initiate communication with Einstein, as a highly visible public figure, as a way of drawing attention to his continued plight and that of his fellow Jews in the British detention camps in Cyprus. For months after the British relinquished control over the camps and the State of Israel was born (May, 1948), Jews still languished in the Camps, another part of this unhappy chapter in Jewish history, of which Einstein was surely aware, and to which this letter, by its date bears witness.

The Merchant Prince of Holy Land Benevolence

[MONTEFIORE, Sir Moses]. An Open Letter Addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore...on the day of his arrival in the Holy city of Jerusalem...by the Rev. Meyer Auerbach...and Rev. Samuel Salant. (Translated from the original Hebrew). Together With A Narrative of a Forty Days' Sojourn in The Holy Land, devoted to an investigation of the state of schools, colleges, and charitable institutions,...by Sir Moses Montefiore,...on his return from his seventh pilgrimage to the Land of Promise. 9 Ellul, 5635—September 9, 1875. London: Wertheimer, 1875. 148pp., 40pp. English and Hebrew text. Photographic image of Montefiore on rear pastedown. Original blue cloth, gilt panels and lettering. Spine ends chipped, dampstaining and slight loss to lower front blank flyleaf. A Good copy.
$ 475

Moses Montefiore (1785-1885), after a brilliant career as one of the 12 "Jew Brokers" in the city of London, retired at the age of 40 with both the time and grand finances to pursue a new career in civic leadership and philanthropy. A first visit to The Land of Israel forever turned his life towards devout Judaism and a personal goal of eradicating anti-Semitism in Europe. Montefiore's meetings with heads of State from Rumania, Morocco, and Tsar Nicholas I of Russia were all pursued with this in view. His seven visits to Palestine vigorously encouraged the development and industrial growth of agriculture, textiles, and printing. These humanitarian efforts won him a knighthood and baronetcy from Queen Victoria, as well as the profound devotion of Jews worldwide; indeed, his 100th birthday was celebrated as a public holiday by the global Jewish community.

Precursors of Herzl: Hess, Sokolow and Pinsker

"Everything that we have tried is already in his book...Since Spinoza, Jewry has brought forth no greater spirit than this forgotten Moses Hess"—Theodor Herzl in his diary

HESS, Moshe. Roim Un Yershalayim. [Rome and Jerusalem]. Translated by Nachman Sirkin. New York: Max N. Maisel, 1916. 233 pp. Original blue cloth. Very Good.
$ 300

FIRST YIDDISH EDITION OF A MILESTONE OF ZIONIST THOUGHT, first published in 1862. A PRECURSOR OF MODERN ZIONISM, Moses Hess (1812-1875), considered by many to be the first important German socialist, is said to be the first to recognize the greatness of Karl Marx. Influenced by the Damascus Blood Libel of 1840 (see item no. 9) and the sufferings of his fellow Jews, he published Rome and Jerusalem , professing the need for the Jews to preserve their nationality in the exile and strive for its political restoration in Palestine.

"As long as deep in the heart the soul of a Jew yearns, And towards the East an eye looks to Zion. Our hope is not yet lost, the age-old hope. To return to the land of our fathers, to the city where David dwelt."— Naphtali Herz Imber , Hatikvah, 1878

IMBER, Naphtali Herz. Ha-Tikvah. [The Zionist anthem in Hebrew and in Judeo-Persian translation]. [Teheran , 1918?]. (Translated by) Shlomo Avishor ben Abraham Yosef Kashani (and in Latin characters). Ch. Abichour. Title page has bold Star of David with the Hebrew word "Zion" in the center. Nine stanzas of the Anthem. Four numbered pages in pamphlet format. Very Good condition.
$ 1100

FIRST SEPARATE PRINTING OF HA-TIKVAH IN JUDEO-PERSIAN. Ha-Tikvah, written in 1878, first appeared as "Tikvatenu" (Our Hope) in 1886. This 1918 Teheran printing is probably the first edition of Ha-Tikvah in Judeo-Persian, and is also one of the earliest Judeo-Persian and Hebrew Teheran imprints. The first recorded Judeo-Persian book by Solomon b. Joseph Kohen, Sefed Hizzuk Sefat Ever (1918) in Teheran, contained only the Hebrew text of Ha-Tikvah. Another Judeo-Persian printing, Hayyim ben Mordechai More's Sefer Gedulat Mordechai (Tehran 1924) includes Ha-Tikvah in Judeo-Persian, but in a translation different from the one in our copy.

RARE. Our pamphlet, having a pagination of its own, is a separate publication, and is not found in many of the major reference works.

"DIE WELT". Theodor Herzl, editor. Wien [Vienna] T�rkenstrasse Nr. 9. 23 Feb.-- 30 Marz, 1900. 6 consecutive issues, 18pp. each. Yiddish text. Original yellow self-wrappers. Very Good Condition.
The group: $ 350

THE FIRST OFFICIAL ZIONIST PERIODICAL. Theodor Herzl wrote in his first editorial for the weekly Die Welt newspaper " Die Welt will be the organ of those men who wish to lead the Jewish People onward from this era into better times." Begun by Herzl in 1897, Die Welt became the official mouthpiece of the World Zionist Organization after the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1903 and was published regularly until 1914. "It published reports on Jewish and Zionist events, fought anti-Semitism and assimilation, introduced Hebrew and Yiddish literature in translation, and demanded improvements in the Jewish life of the Diaspora and Eretz Yisrael."—Encyclopedia Judaica. At the time of our March, 1900 issues, Herzl's diary entries reveal his preoccupation with the Jewish Colonial Trust (Jewish Colonial Bank) in London which was founded to serve the purposes of the Zionist Movement.

Tel Aviv: Commemorating the founding in 1909 of the first all-Jewish city

Forty-three First Day Covers, signed by graduates of Herzlia Hebrew Gymnasium, all later significant figures in the political and cultural life of the State of Israel. Postmarked Tel-Aviv/Jaffa, May 4, 1959. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv. Each envelope bears an image of Meir Dizengoff, the first Mayor and "founding father" of the City.
$ 950

The year 1904 marked the beginning of the Second Aliyah to Palestine. Symbolic of that new spirit among the early pioneers was the establishment in 1906 of the Gymnasia Herzlia, the first Hebrew secondary school established in Palestine. In 1909, with the establishment of Tel Aviv as the first all-Jewish city in modern times, the School moved from Jaffa to Tel Aviv. This set of First Day Covers signed by graduates of the Gymnasia commemorates the 50th anniversary of its founding in Tel Aviv and of the city itself. Among the signers are Moshe Shamir, Abraham Shlonsky (Hebrew poet), Ahron Remez (first chief of Israel Air-Force), Joseph Burg, Moshe Sharett (former Prime Minister and first foreign minister of Israel), and Zvi Nishri (father of Israeli Sports).

ALLENBY, Sir Edmund H. H. A Brief Record of the Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under the command of... Allenby...July, 1917 to October, 1918. Compiled from Official Sources and Published by The Palestine News. Edited by Pirie-Gordon, H., military editor. Cairo: Government Press and Survey of Egypt, 1919. 56 maps with explanatory notes. Original stiff paper wrappers. Covers worn, else Very Good.
$ 750

FIRST EDITION of this dramatic record of a turning point in the historical, political and cultural activities of the Middle East. The conquest of the Turks by Britain's Egyptian Expeditionary Force in 1917 and 1918 was brilliantly led by the newly appointed General Allenby. British troops defeated their enemy within 16 months. Events and relationships that developed between the British and the indigenous Jewish and Arab populations during this 1? year period were to set the stage for future events that would reverberate throughout the 20th century. Not the least was the fact that the presence of the British army came just in time to prevent a major deportation of "Hebrew colonists" which had been ordered by the Turks. The British presence provided the security necessary for Dr. Chaim Weizmann and The Zionist Commission to ceremonially inaugurate The Hebrew University as a symbol of "their confidence in the future and of their recognition of the necessity of them imparting higher education in their own language" (text opposite plate 55).

Ben-Gurion's first book on Eretz Yisrael

BEN-GURION, David and BEN-ZVI, Yitzhak. Eretz Yisroel in Fargangenheit Un Gegenvart [The Land of Israel: Past and Present] New York: Poale Zion Palestine Committee, 1918. 477pp. Text in Yiddish. Large fold out map (skillfully repaired) published by Poale Zion. Olive green cloth binding with map of Land of Israel on front, soiled. Hinges starting. A Good copy.
$ 450

FIRST EDITION OF BEN-GURION'S FIRST BOOK ON THE LAND OF ISRAEL, and one of the many collaborative efforts by Ben-Gurion and Ben-Zvi, whose roots go back to 1910-11 and their early years as members of Poalei Zion. At that time Ben-Gurion refused to cooperative with the Yiddish party organ, demanding that Hebrew be the sole language of the party. How ironic that this, his first book about the land he loved, be written in Yiddish!

This thorough work details the history, the legal status, the geography, the demography and the contemporary organization of Jewish life in the Land of Israel. It provides a rare, yet full view of The Jewish Settlement in Palestine and the objectives of the Yishuv prior to the British Mandate. It appeared at a time when Ben-Gurion was serving as a soldier in the Jewish Legion of the British Army.

"It is no use telling me I am a statesman, a diplomat, if my hands are empty. It is no use starting colonization if you have no budget. You can't build up Nuris, Hahaliel, without funds. The Chaluzim are willing to miss meals twice a week. But the cows must be fed, and you cannot feed a cow with speeches.
–from address, Keren Hayesod Conference, March 18, 1920

WEIZMANN, Chaim. American Addresses of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, including Address delivered by Dr. Weizmann on the occasion of the laying of the corner-stone of the Hebrew University on The Mount of Olives. Preface by Samuel Untermyer. New York: Palestine Foundation Fund, 1923. 64pp. Original dark green cover with decorative motif and gilt titling. A Fine copy.
$ 300

FIRST EDITION. Weizmann's stirring words of support for Zionism delivered to Americans. Includes over 25 speeches and/or excerpts. Weizmann later became the first President of the State of Israel.

"If you are planning for one year, plant grain; if you 're planning for ten years plant trees; if you're planning for a hundred years plant men."—Old Chinese proverb

GRUENBAUM, Ludwig. Outlines of a Development Plan for Jewish Palestine. Jerusalem: Jewish Agency for Palestine, 1946. [Economic Research Inst.] Pamphlet Original wrappers, 171pp.+Appendix.
$ 95

Embracing the central problems of major economic policy in Palestine, this treatise, undertaken at the request of Arthur Ruppin, examines whether Palestine will be able to absorb one million Jewish immigrants (in addition to the natural increase in population) within a "medium space of time." This study was completed before the proceedings of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry began, but not used by The Jewish Agency before that Committee.

A Rosh HaShanah Prayer: May the year 5709 [1949] be a year of victory and peace, a year of liberation and redemption for our people—Brigadier Chief of General Staff

SHERIRA, D.B. Shanah BeYisrael 5708 - 5709 : Perashat HaShanah BiT'munot ( A Year in Israel, 5708-5709, A Pictorial Record) Tel Aviv: Israel Publishing, 1949. 55 pp. Text and captions in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English. Over 60 black and white postcard-size photographs. Maps and cover design by S. Ben David. Self-wrappers. Good condition.
$ 145

A pictorial record of the first year of Israel's Independence, published by The Israeli Soldier's Welfare Committee, immediately after Rosh HaShanah in 1949 and authorized by the Israeli Defense Forces. Dedication by Yaakov Dori, then Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces.

VILNAY, Zev. HaAretz BeMikra [ The Land of Israel in the Bible], The Wanderings of Israel in the Desert, The Conquest of the Land, and the Division among the tribes, accompanied by maps and drawings. Jerusalem: Tur Yisrael, 1954. 60 pp. Text in Hebrew. Illustrated with 89 maps and drawings, correlated extensively with pertinent Biblical passages. Oblong folio 9?" x 13". Paper covered boards, a Nice copy.
$ 350

Dr. Vilnay presents a vivid picture of the forty years of Israelite wandering in the Sinai desert under Moses and the Conquest of the Land of Israel under Joshua. This work focuses exclusively on a uniquely detailed account of the conquest of Israel and the settlement of the Hebrew tribes in their ancestral territories. The book includes a section on the Levite Cities and the Cities of Refuge.

Given that this volume was published in the early year of the modern State of Israel, it would seem clear that its publication reflects the deep concern of the Zionist spirit to strengthen modern Israel's existence and experience by tying it directly to the realities of Biblical Israel. The Zionist movement had come to see the resurrection of Israel as the rebirth of the ancient homeland.

The Treaties For Peace. Moments in History. The Robert A. Cumins Collection. Three Photographs, attractively framed, all signed by the photographer, Robert Cumins. The three photographs show the signings and the handshakes between Israel and her neighbors. Each image 5" x 7", double matted in attractive single frame measuring 21" x 10". Fine condition.
The group of 3: $ 250

The photographs: Camp David Accords, 1979, signed in Washington, March 26, 1979 by President Sadat, Prime Minister Begin, and President Jimmy Carter; Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles, 1993, signed in Washington September 13, 1993 by Chairman Arafat, Prime Minister Rabin and President Bill Clinton; Israel-Jordon Peace Treaty, 1994, signed in The Arava, on the border of Israel and Jordan, October 26, 1994 by King Hussein, Prime Minister Rabin, and President Bill Clinton. Highly suitable as a presentation gift.