|
Sale 49
Manuscript, Collectibles and Aerospace Auction
| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Realized |
Lot 554 |
 |
1754 Printed Scholarly Study on "Jewish Coins". Perhaps the earliest study on early Jewish Coins, by Johann Friedrich Joachim, the full title reads: "Unterricht von dem Münzwesen: worin sowol der Zustand und Beschaffenheit der Münzen bei den Jüden, Griechen und Römern, als auch die Einrichtung des Münzwesens nebst den unterschiedenen Sorten, Werth und Gehalt der Münzen in den vornehmsten Europäischen Ländern vorgestellt wird." Published at Halle in Magdeburg, 1754, 6¾ x 4 in., 288 pages plus a 12 page introduction and a 23 page Glossary and Index. Original 18th century boards, some of which are warping; the spine is worn, and there are name stamps from previous owners. The binding is intact and the pages are tight and clean. This work mostly covers the medieval coins of northern Europe, but it begins with chapters on ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish coinage. The chapter "Münzen bei den Jüden", fills pages 21 through 31, and may be the earliest printed scholarly treatment of Jewish coinage. The text is German throughout, aside from quotations of coin inscriptions. An old, woodblock printed bookplate has detached from the inside of the front cover.
Estimated Value $300 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 555 |
 |
1948 Israeli Government Organizational Paper. Printed document, formal paper, 11pp, in Hebrew, Tel Aviv, 21 July 1948. Four pages measure 13 x 8½ in., seven pages measure 10 x 7 in. Just months after independence, Israel organizes its government. Table of Contents reads: "State of Israel, Formal paper, Temporally assigned government, #10, 1 Tel Aviv 14th of Tamuz 07-21-1948, pg 55, Table of Contents: [pg] 56 An announcement in the matter of adding to the order of government and laws, 1948. [pg] 56 An announcement in the matter of substitutes of the state's party members. [pg] 56 Appointing of officers [pg] 57 Appointing of a supervisor of transportation as an official authority. [pg] 57 Appointing of a supervisor of diamonds as an official authority. [pg] 57 Court orders. [pg] 58 Announcements of properties sales. [pg] 58 Announcements by the order of partnerships. [pg] 58 Correcting errors. Addition A [pg] 23 Budget orders (July 1948), Addition B [pg] 37 Order for supervision of foods. [pg] 39 Order of human resource recruitment (getting office employ's details, drivers, technicians) 1948 [pg] 39 Defense order (for supervising diamonds) (correction) 1948, [pg] 40 Meetings protocol of the temporary government. Fine condition with light edge wear.
Estimated Value $800 - 1,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 556 |
 |
1st Printing of Israel's Declaration of Independence - Signed By 11 Original Signers. Israel's Provisional Government Official Bulletin No. 1 (14 May 1948) with the complete Declaration of Independence Signed in Hebrew on page two by eleven of the 37 original signers, 3pp, 13½ x 8¼ in., n.p., n.d. Thirty-eight copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed by Bank Leumi and placed in presentation cases; one was given to each of the 37 signers, who were members of the Provisional Council of State, and one was retained by Bank Leumi. This copy is housed in a red presentation case and is in fine condition. Very rare and a most historic document. This is only the second signed copy in private hands that we know of. The first, signed by ten of the original signers, was sold by Ira & Larry Goldberg in November 2007 and brought $109,250.
The eleven signers of this original issue of the Israeli Declaration of Independence are:
David Ben Gurion (1886-1973) - First Prime Minister
Yitzhak Ben Zvi (1884-1963) - 2nd President
Golda Meyerson (Meir) (1898-1978) - Labor Minister, future Prime Minister
Moshe Shertok (Sharett) (1894-1965) - Foreign Minister, future Prime Minister
Moshe Kolodny (Kol) (1911-89) - Zionist leader; future Minister of Tourism
Felix Pinchas Rosenblueth (Rosen) (1887-1978) - Zionist leader; future Minister of Justice
Izrak Gruenbaum (1879-1970) - Minister of the Interior
Moshe Shapira (1902-70) - Jewish Agency Executive; future cabinet minister
Harav Izrak Meir Levin (1894-1971) - Orthodox Religious Affairs Minister
Behor-Shalom Shitrit (1895-1967) - Minister of Police
Nahoum Nir - 2nd Speaker of the Knesset
At 4:00 pm on Friday, May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. His reading of Israel's Declaration of Independence was broadcast to Jews all over the country. Ben Gurion became the first Prime Minister of the new state, which was quickly recognized by the United States and the USSR.
Here is the text of the Declaration of Independence:
THE LAND OF ISRAEL was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was formed. Here they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world.
Exiled from Palestine, the Jewish people remained faithful to it in all the countries of their dispersion, never ceasing to pray and hope for their return and the restoration of their national freedom.
Impelled by this historic association, Jews strove throughout the centuries to go back to the land of their fathers and regain their statehood. In recent decades they returned in masses. They reclaimed the wilderness, revived their language, built cities and villages and established a vigorous and ever-growing community with its own economic and cultural life. They sought peace yet were ever prepared to defend themselves. They brought the blessing of progress to all inhabitants of the country.
This right was acknowledged by the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, and re-affirmed by the Mandate of the League of Nations, which gave explicit international recognition to the historic connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and their right to reconstitute their National Home.
The Nazi Holocaust, which engulfed millions of Jews in Europe, proved anew the urgency of the re-establishment of the Jewish state, which would solve the problem of Jewish homelessness by opening the gates to all Jews and lifting the Jewish people to equality in the family of nations.
The survivors of the European catastrophe, as well as Jews from other lands, proclaiming their right to a life of dignity, freedom and labor, and undeterred by hazards, hardships and obstacles, have tried unceasingly to enter Palestine.
In the Second World War the Jewish people in Palestine made a full contribution in the struggle of the freedom-loving nations against the Nazi evil. The sacrifices of their soldiers and the efforts of their workers gained them title to rank with the peoples who founded the United Nations.
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution for the establishment of an independent Jewish state in Palestine, and called upon the inhabitants of the country to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put the plan into effect.
This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their independent State may not be revoked. It is, moreover, the self-evident right of the Jewish people to be a nation, as all other nations, in its own sovereign State.
ACCORDINGLY, WE, the members of the National Council, representing the Jewish people in Palestine and the Zionist movement of the world, met together in solemn assembly today, the day of the termination of the British mandate for Palestine, by virtue of the natural and historic right of the Jewish people and of the Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations,
HEREBY PROCLAIM the establishment of the Jewish State in Palestine, to be called ISRAEL.
WE HEREBY DECLARE that as from the termination of the Mandate at midnight, this night of the 14th and 15th May, 1948, and until the setting up of the duly elected bodies of the State in accordance with a Constitution, to be drawn up by a Constituent Assembly not later than the first day of October, 1948, the present National Council shall act as the provisional administration, shall constitute the Provisional Government of the State of Israel.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be ready to cooperate with the organs and representatives of the United Nations in the implementation of the peace and play their part in the development of the State, with full and equal citizenship and due representation in its bodies and institutions provisional or permanent.
We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.
Our call goes out to Jewish people all over the world to rally to our side in the task of immigration and development and to stand by us in the great struggle for the fulfillment of the dream of generations the redemption of Israel.
With trust in Almighty God, we set our hand to this Declaration, at this session of the Provisional State Council, in the city of Tel Aviv, on this Sabbath eve, the fifth of Iyar, 5708, the fourteenth of May, 1948.
Estimated Value $50,000 - 75,000.
Obtained directly from the family of one of the signers.
View details and enlarged photos
| Realized
$86,250 |
Lot 557 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8 x 5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper, Sdeh Boker, 24 April 1971. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine; uneven right margin with darker, toned area and two small edge tears. Accompanied by English translations of Ben-Gurion's letter and of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Ben-Gurion replies to Mr. Hartal's suggestion that, as an alternative to the Third Temple, which could not yet be erected, a religious shrine of Judaism should be built in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, and that this shrine would serve as a counterbalance to Muslim and Christian architecture in that part of Jerusalem.
"To Mr. Zev Hartal Peace and Greetings, Until the Third Temple will be built after the coming of the Messiah--there is the need to build in Jerusalem the House of the Bible--and this a project under consideration. There is nothing more important in Judaism than the Bible…."
Estimated Value $3,000 - 5,000.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$1,725 |
Lot 558 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8¼x5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper with a printed "16" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 23 July 1971. With the original transmittal envelope, addressed in Hebrew in Ben-Gurion's hand. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by English translations of Ben-Gurion's letter and of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Mr. Hartal had written the former prime minister regarding a newspaper quote from an address he made earlier in 1971 claiming that there would be a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and the rest of the Arab countries within the next ten years.
Ben-Gurion replies: "I don't think that Sadat keeps Egypt in his pocket. The majority of the Egyptian people are poor and ill peasants lacking education, and they are getting poorer from year to year. There are over a hundred thousand young Egyptians who graduated from universities in America, Russia, France, England and elsewhere. Most of them, perhaps, went to study for the sake of obtaining a good job. But it does not occur to him that there also are tens of thousands of youths who finished their studies at universities but they don't care about the substandard plight of the majority of the Egyptian people, that the majority of the Egyptian people who are peasants, and just as Nasser realized in his last year that not the destruction of the state of Israel but the betterment of the condition of peasants is the chief need of Egypt. I assume that the best people in Egypt will understand this as well, and they will make peace with Israel, because there is no other nation that can help (not necessarily with money) the masses of peasants, like Israelis."
Estimated Value $3,000 - 5,000.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$1,955 |
Lot 559 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph document by David Ben-Gurion, unsigned, in Hebrew, three separate pages, 8½ x 6½ in., on airmail paper, apparently notes in preparation for a written article or speech. In part: "For the first time the big party in Israel is gone and in its place came the MAARACH which calls itself 'Plan (literal meaning of MAARACH) for the unity of the workers of Israel' The name is misleading since even the two parties which formed the MAARACH together did not unite, they exist as 2 separate parties, but rigged a coalition that turned the democracy upside-down and put the minority to rule the majority both in the HISTADRUT [workers' union] and in the Knesset [Israeli Parliament]… Every party is free to vote as it pleases on the question of the election regime, only the majority party cannot vote as it has done all of the past years. [?] is a cult and always was a cult, breaking off of Mapai and rejoining it, breaking off, finally feeling there is no longer a place under the sun for them and founded the MAARACH. The friends that remain loyal to the national interest the need and historic destiny of the people - to be a nation those are RAFI. One may ask what our program is? Our program is etched on the boards of our history since the Jewish people wished for a state established it and the state grew. We were partners and initiators in all the changes that occurred in Israel since the second ALIYA (immigration). In the battle for Hebrew work, Jewish security and self-defense, woman's equality, working settlements for the gathering of the Diaspora and the absorption of newcomers and finally for the foundation of a state battling those who wanted a dual nation state… For the foundation of a uniform military opposing the resigning members from the left and right. For a uniform national education to all the peoples children. That is a need to ensure independent economics without which the state may be fiction. That is the need of our security - a strong IDF with international recognition. And if we are only few, we are make up with our quality. A moral and cultural quality constantly rising by the education of the younger generations. A progressive democracy merging different ethnicities and designing a character of a pioneer state, creating and being an representative to the Jewish world and other nations…" More excellent content. Minor handling marks expected, otherwise fine.
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 560 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8½x4¾ in., in Hebrew, on ruled, light tan paper with a printed "7" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 31 March 1970. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by English translations of Ben-Gurion's letter and of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Ben-Gurion writes: "I suggested proposals to Einstein--not because of Plato's statement (and your interpretation of Plato's utterance in my opinion is not justified) but because president in Israel--is unlike the president of the United States, and practically he has no rights and freedom to interfere with the affairs of the state, but he represents the spiritual side of the people and it seems to me that in those days--Einstein was the most appropriate for the role--because he exemplified all the positive qualities of the Hebrew people in the moral sense and the intellectual sense. To my regret he did not think that he was suitable for this role…."
In 1952, Einstein, who was Jewish but not a citizen of Israel, declined an invitation to become Israel's second president. In this letter, Ben -Gurion is responding to an inquiry by Mr. Hartal as to whether the offer to Einstein was made based on Plato's statement that the state should be ruled by philosophers and offering a different interpretation of what Plato might have meant by the word "philosopher."
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$6,900 |
Lot 561 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David (1876-1973) One of the most influential figures in modern Zionism; founder of the State of Israel; first (1948-52) and third (1955-62) prime minister of Israel. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 7½x4¾ in., in Hebrew, on ruled, light tan paper with a printed "17" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 13 May 1968. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine; uneven right margin, affecting nothing. Accompanied by an English translation of Ben-Gurion's letter and a synopsis of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
The former prime minister writes: "The deficiency that you count in the Jewish Agency regarding the absorption of immigrants is not the only one. In order to absorb immigrants into any country, and especially into Israel, the good will of the population is needed, as well as the full authority of the government; and without having a responsible and wise government to initiate immigration to Israel from the Diaspora, which is ready to devote itself to it with all its heart and soul--immigration to Israel will be abandoned. Concerning the crucial importance of immigration to Israel--I agree with you one hundred percent…."
In the spring of 1968, P.Z. Hartal wrote Mr. Ben-Gurion concerning the urgent need to increase Jewish immigration to Israel and expressed the opinion that the Jewish Agency should do more to promote immigration and to absorb those immigrants.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 562 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8x5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper, Sdeh Boker, 7 May 1971. With the original transmittal envelope, addressed in Hebrew in Ben-Gurion's hand and signed in English ("D. Ben-Gurion") on the flap. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by English translations of Ben-Gurion's letter and Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Mr. Hartal had written the former prime minister regarding comments he (B-G) had made in a newspaper article about wars the Jews had fought throughout history against mighty empires and about the role internecine wars had played in the outcome of some of those conflicts. Reference is made to the Altadena incident in 1948, in which Ben-Gurion, as prime minister, ordered that the ship, although filled with hundreds of camp survivors, be fired on and sunk because the Irgun would not give the weapons the ship carried to the Israeli Defense Forces.
"To Zev Hartal Peace and Greetings, I agree that it is not the quantity which matters but the quality. This we have learnt in everything and in the war that we waged since the establishment of the state. However, the fighters against the Romans and the Babylonians did not surpass in quality their enemies. And you are right--that our civil war in the Roman period was the cause of our defeat. In our war against the Arab armies--there was no civil war. The Altalena affair took place during the first truce--and we immediately brought it to an end…."
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$2,300 |
Lot 563 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 7½x4¾ in., in Hebrew, on ruled, light tan paper with a printed "33" at the top, Tiberias, 5 May 1970. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by an English translation of Ben-Gurion's letter and a synopsis of Mr. Hartal's letter to him.
Ben-Gurion writes: "Everything you have written about Russia is correct, and perhaps you did not exhaust all her deeds. But the role to inform is in the hands of the government and its employees, and I have no contact with the government. At present I am here--for reasons of health, and soon I will return to Sdeh Boker…."
Mr. Hartal had written to Ben-Gurion about the necessity of improving and enhancing the public's awareness regarding the Soviet Union's aims in the Middle East, especially its expansionistic aims. Ben-Gurion replied from Tiberias, a winter heath resort famous since Roman times for its hot springs.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 564 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8¼x5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper with a printed "4" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 21 June 1970. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by an English translation of Ben-Gurion's letter and a synopsis of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Ben-Gurion replies to Mr. Hartal's suggestion that the Suez Canal be widened by 35-40 kilometers to facilitate international and Israeli navigation and to another suggestion that Israel might benefit from adding an Upper House to its parliamentary system.
"To Zev Hartal Peace and Greetings, I doubt that in these days it is possible to discuss the widening of the Suez Canal. I do not think that we need an Upper House. What we do need is a talented and most responsible leadership, but not in the Upper House. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the two oil paintings that you sent me…."
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 565 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8½x5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper with a printed "47" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 9 Dec. 1970. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by an English translation of Ben-Gurion's letter and a synopsis of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Ben-Gurion replies to Mr. Hartal, who was teaching in Beer Sheva at the time, and who proposed that an Art Academy be added to Sdeh Boker College, which was founded by Ben-Gurion in 1965; the college was comprised of a boarding high school, a department of field studies and a teacher training seminary. Kibbutz Sdeh Boker was located in the Negev Hills of Israel, south of Beer Sheva. Ben-Gurion retired there twice, after each term as prime minister; he remained active in the political life of Israel and devoted much of his time to writing the history of Israel.
In part: "…To discuss the matter from the view of Sdeh Boker--the hour did not arrive yet to set up an art academy at the college. I must admit though that I am not an expert on art, and my opinion does not obligate. I will forward your letter to the persons responsible for the college…."
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 566 |
 |
Ben-Gurion, David. Typed letter signed as Prime Minister, 1p, in Hebrew, 7¼x8¾ in., Jerusalem, 24 Aug. 1953 about an article published in "The Spectator" attributing to Ben Gurion "the idea 'to change the Zionist Organization into a type of Jewish Bible Society.' This is a ludicrous and childish falsification of what I said…about providing Hebrew education in the Diaspora being a primary function of the Zionist movement. You are allowed to think that Hebrew education for the people has no connection to the Zionist movement of our day and that Herzl never thought of this…." Very good; small edge chips and a couple of small holes at folds. Bold signature in blue ink.
Estimated Value $800 - 1,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$480 |
Lot 567 |
 |
Ben-Zvi, Yitzhak (1885-1963) Second president of Israel. Typed letter signed ("Y. Ben Zvi"), as head of the National Council, in Hebrew, 1p, 6 June 1933, with excess margins folded to 10 x 8 in., on Jewish Community of Palestine / General Council (Vaad Leumi) stationery. Addressed to the brothers Litwinski in Tel Aviv, justifying taxation by the Va'ad Leumi, the National Council of the Jewish community in Palestine. Fine; punch holes in left margin and official stamp. With translation.
Estimated Value $300 - 400.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 568 |
 |
Broadside Announcing Adoption of the 1947 U.N. Resolution to Establish a Jewish State and an Arab State. Broadside, in Hebrew, published by Ha'aretz Press Ltd, 1p, 13½ x 9½ in., Tel-Aviv, 30 November 1947. Fine with light toning, folds and wear along left edge. Translation in part reads, "Ha'aretz Free Special Edition / Establishment / Of The State / …General Assembly of the U.N. / receiving more than two-thirds [vote] / on the resolution of the establishment of two / states - Jewish and Arab - / in the land of Israel." On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution, which adopted the plan for the partition of Palestine, recommended by the majority of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). The partition map proposed by UNSCOP allotted the Jewish state only a small part of Western Palestine. Despite this fact, the Zionist Organization and the institutions of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael agreed to accept the plan, since it recognized the right of the Jewish people to a state and not only a "national home" as stated in the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the 1922 Mandate for Palestine. The adoption of the partition resolution by the General Assembly was received by the Jewish community with great joy and thousands went out to the streets to celebrate.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$414 |
Lot 569 |
 |
Dayan, Moshe (1915-1981) An Israeli soldier, Dayan fought for the British against the Arabs before World War II. He commanded the forces in the Jerusalem area during the war of independence and led the 1956 invasion of the Sinai. He later served in the government as the chief of staff, minister of agriculture and minister of defense.
Rare handwritten article, 6pp, recto only, 11 x 8½ in., in Hebrew, 1961, regarding the 5th Israeli Parliament elections of 1961. In part, the letter reads, "The elections coming on August 15th were designed for the election of a Knesset and formation of a Government, which will run the state in the next 4 years. The corner stone for these declarations was placed before the announcement of the dissolving of the Knesset. When "Mapam" and. and following them the Progressives announced that they will not seat in a government headed by David Ben Gurion they did not say whether it was a temporary sanction or a lifetime ban, but it was obviously refreshing moment in our democratic way of life, not the electors are the ones who determine the elected representatives, the. do. Meaning, those who elected Bentov Ben-Aharon and Rozen, those who did not see Ben Gurion as their representative, they are the ones who have right to decide who stands at the head of "MAPAY" (Labor party) and who praise the current election system. This coalition gave us three constructive achievements, a boycott on Ben Gurion as prime minister, premature elections and calling the Knesset for emergency gatherings to make it a stage for campaign speeches but this new-born coalition is still at its prime and its future is ahead of it. The labor party's candidate list and candidate order for the 5th Knesset hasn't changed, except for Lavon and Rothenstien, since the last elections. Then came the next stage, its subjects are the key people in this coalition. declare that they wont sit in a government in which the Labor party is the majority, while the labor party is a minority in the Knesset. what is the true meaning of this statement? Does the Labor party, having majority in the government, deprive the representatives of the other parties and by that transforming from minority to majority? In this Knesset the Labor party has 54 representatives (including the Arab parties). by which system will the next government be elected? Will the parties in the coalition not see themselves as representatives of the public, which are privileged and obligated to serve in the government in accordance to the number of Mps the have? I'm afraid. I won't be mistaken if I said that the intention is to make a minority become a majority and the majority to become a minority." With partial translation. Rust mark and a couple of small margin stains, else fine.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 570 |
 |
Dayan, Moshe. Typed letter signed as Minister of Defense, 1p, in Hebrew, 11 x 8½ in., on decorative thick cream dimpled paper embossed with Israel's Coat of Arms. The letter reads: "Dear Mrs. Rachl Shalev, Please allow me to join you in your grief for your loss of Shaul (May he rest in peace). Major Shaul Shalev (May he rest in peace) gave his life for his country. He was killed in the southern front on the Yom Kippur war, and brought for burial on October 12th, 1973. (16 in the month of Tishrei) Shaul (May he rest in peace) served as an officer in the armed units. He was a brave soldier, and an acceding officer, and a wonderful friend. Everyone who knew him - loved him. The memory of Major Shaul Shalev for ever be holy and signed in our heart. God bless your memory, Dearly, Major-general (in reserve) - Moshe Dayan, Minister of Defense. Cheshvan, Tashla'd (November, 1973)." With translation. Excellent condition.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$1,035 |
Lot 571 |
 |
[Dreyfus, Captain Alfred] Rare Cabinet Card Photograph, c. 1907 (1859-1935) French Jewish artillery officer at the heart of the "Dreyfus Affair." He was wrongfully convicted of treason and in 1895 sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. The affair became the worst political and judicial scandal France had ever seen when Dreyfus was championed by Emile Zola and other artists and intellectuals. He was officially exonerated in 1906. Cabinet Card Photograph, 4¼ x 6½ in. with ink stamped imprint of William M. Vander Weyde of New York, c. 1907. Vander Weyde's original negative is in the collection of the George Eastman House Still Photo Archive. Dreyfus is shown in full French artillery uniform after his exoneration and return to military service. Fine.
Estimated Value $300 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 572 |
 |
Eban, Abba (1915-2002) Israeli statesman. Eban's outstanding skills as speech maker and diplomat led to his appointment as the United Nations representative of the new government of Israel in 1948 and as its first permanent representative from 1949 to 1959. Simultaneously he was Israel's ambassador to the United States. Typed letter signed ("Aubrey S. Eban"), 1p, 11 x 8½ in., in English, New York. Written just weeks after Israel's Declaration of Independence on Provisional Government of Israel stationery, with printed title amended "Office of the Acting [Acting crossed out] Representative To the United Nations". Entitled "DIPLOMATIC COURIER CERTIFICATE" the official letter certifies that "Rabbi Wolf Gold, bearer of U.S.A. Passport No. 9510, carries with him the following sealed envelopes addressed to: Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Tel-Aviv, Israel, No. 303, All persons and authorities are requested to grant to Rabbi Wolf Gold all aid and facilities he may need or ask for in order to bring these documents safely to their destination. Aubrey S. Eban, Representative of Israel to the United Nations." Light soiling and creases do not detract, near fine.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 573 |
 |
[Frank, Anne] Miep Gies (neé Hermine Santrouschitz) (1909 -) Austrian-born Dutch citizen who helped hide the family of Anne Frank; she found and preserved Anne's diary and gave it to Anne's father, Otto, after the war. Two signatures: one on 4¾ x 4¾ in. paper, dated 13-5-1994; the second signature is on a Press Information sheet, 11 x 8½ in., from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, regarding a talk Gies was giving to high school students at the Center in May (1994). All fine. Miep Gies received the Righteous Amongst the Nations Award in May 1994.
Estimated Value $150 - 200.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$86 |
Lot 574 |
 |
Israeli 20th Anniversary Item Signed by Eight Chiefs of Staff. Booklet containing a first-day-of-isssue .40 shekel stamp commemorating Israel's 20th anniversary and signed on the 10¼ x 4¼ in. page to which the cancelled stamp (Jerusalem 24.4.68) is affixed by the eight Israeli Chiefs of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces who served between 1948 and 1968. They are Yacov Dori (1948-49), Yigael Yadin ((1949-52), Mordechai Maklet (1952-53), Moshe Dayan (1953-58), Haim Laskov (1958-61), Zvi Tzur (1961-64), Yitzhak Rabin (1964-68), and Haim Bar-Lev (1968-72). A collage of bust portraits of the eight Chiefs of Staff is on the facing page. On the back of the signature page is a full page, color image of the featured stamp. These pages are bound with end papers into a burgundy vinyl holder, which is housed in a custom-made, navy leather case. Excellent condition and a wonderful piece of Israeli memorabilia.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 575 |
 |
Israeli Declaration of Independence Print. Israel's Declaration of Independence, First Printing. Israel's Provisional Government Official Bulletin No. 1, 14 May 1948, with the complete Declaration of Independence, 3 pages, 13½ x 8¼ in., undated. In Very Good condition, with some edge wear, minor foxing, and a few small holes. Very rare and a most historic document.
At 4:00 pm on Friday, May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. His reading of Israel's Declaration of Independence was broadcast to Jews all over the country. Ben-Gurion became the first Prime Minister of the new state, which was quickly recognized by the United States and the USSR.
It begins: "THE LAND OF ISRAEL was the birthplace of the Jerwish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was formed. Here they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world." It further states: "We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all."
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 576 |
 |
Jabotinsky, Vladimir (Ze'ev) (1880-1940) A Zionist leader, author, orator, soldier, and founder of the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in Odessa. He also formed the Jewish Legion in World War I. Autograph letter signed ("Z. Jabotinsky"), 1p, 7 x 4½ in., in Hebrew, 6 August 1920, Jerusalem, Israel. Addressed to a Mr. Gordon. "…Could you send me ASAP 'The Hebrew Grammar' (in Latin characters) that I gave you several months ago? I need the manuscript immediately. How are you, your father and sister feeling? Please don't think that I am angry, this is not so, and it will never be. Friendly greetings…" A copy of the book he is requesting, signed by Jabotinsky, is included. Fine.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 577 |
 |
Jewish Physician in Revolutionary War - Connecticut Militia. Connecticut pay order, 6 x 8 in., 4 June 1777, directing John Lawrence, the Connecticut treasurer, to "Pay Doct. Isaac Mousley (sic) Fifty-three pounds three shillings & Eight pence for Medicines & Hospital Stores provided for the Militia of this State while in Service 1776 as per acc. & charge the State. Hartford June 4, 1777." Signed by Ez. Williams and C. Ellsworth for the committee. Though this document spells the doctor's name "Mousley," the correct spelling appears in the docketing on the back, where his name appears twice as "Moseley." Dr. Isaac Moseley was a member of a prominent Jewish family in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and a graduate of Yale University. Written on laid, watermarked paper, this document is in remarkable condition, bright and easy to read, with a couple of fold splits in the right end and a couple of pinholes near the left end. A rare document demonstrating one of the Jewish contributions to the American Revolution.
Estimated Value $400 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$368 |
Lot 578 |
 |
Jobotinsky Vladimir ("Ze'ev"). Photo signed ("V. Jabotinsky") on verso, with other signatures, black & white, 2 x 3 in., n.p., n.d. Jabotinsky is pictured in the foreground, third man from the left, near center. Photo was produced on German Agfa-Lupex paper, consistent with the pre-war period. Fine
After World War I, Jabotinsky actively lectured and wrote for many publications, advancing the Zionist cause. In 1925, the World Union of Zionist Revisionists was established with headquarters in Paris. Jabotinsky lived in Jerusalem from 1927-1929. While on a speaking engagement abroad in 1929, the British administration cancelled his return visa to Palestine. From 1930 until he died of heart failure in New York in 1940, Jabotinsky actively lectured worldwide for the establishment of a Jewish state. In his will, written in 1935, he asked that when he died, he could be buried anywhere, but requested that his remains be transferred to Palestine "only at the instructions of a Jewish government." In 1965, ordered by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, the remains of Jabotinsky and his wife were reinterred on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250.
View details and enlarged photos
| Realized
$1,093 |
Lot 579 |
 |
Jobotinsky, Vladimir (Ze'ev). Rare autograph letter signed ("V. Jabotinsky"), on a 3¼ x 5 in. card, both sides, in French, n.p., 24 Dec. 1929. Not fully translated. To "My dear friend," in part: "If you can do something for Mr. Boudnik…I would be truly obligated to you. He is a veteran of the Zion Mule Corps and of the 38th Royal Fusiliers, Jewish soldier from 1915 to 1920 – deserving of a little gratitude. A simple man…unhappy. When I was in Jerusalem, I helped him as much as possible, before I left. Do what you can, I thank you in advance. Good luck in all things." Very fine condition.
In 1915, the Zion Mule Corps of the British Army was formed in Egypt. Almost all the soldiers were Jews who had been expelled from Palestine by the Turks because of their British citizenship. Joining the British Expeditionary Force on Gallipoli in the Dardinelles in May 1915, the Zion Mule Corps saw action until the British were forced to evacuate in January 1916, after which it was disbanded. In September 1917, the British War Office formed the 38th Royal Fusiliers, an infantry regiment made up of nearly 100 veterans of the Zion Mule Corps plus Jewish immigrants from Russia. The 38th was sent to Egypt in February 1918 and took part in the victorious September 1918 British offensive against the Turks in Palestine under General Edmund Allenby. Jabotinsky was a Deputy Commander of the 38th Royal Fusiliers, with the honorary rank of lieutenant.
Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,800.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 580 |
 |
Johann Simonis. 1756 First Edition Jewish Dictionary. "LEXICON MANUALE HEBRAICUM ET CHALDAICUM," First Edition, Jewish Dictionary, 8 x 5 x 2¾ in., sheep-skin covers, 1,082 pages with separate preface. Written by noted scholar Johann Simonis (1698-1768) and printed at Halle, Germany. The author was a professor of Theology and Church History, and well respected lexicographer. Informative text contains Simonis' comprehensive lexicon of the Hebrew, Chaldaic and Latin languages. This treatise remained popular for several decades, passing through many subsequent editions. First English translation was issued in 1832. Binding is vellum. This rare book remains in very good condition with some very scattered small internal notations from the owner. Volume bound in contemporary vellum, early hand titling to spine, couple of unobtrusive institutional markings, inner front hinge cracked, scattered foxing, occasional marginalia and underscoring. Generally clean internally.
Estimated Value $200 - 400.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$207 |
Lot 581 |
 |
Johannes Buxtorf. "Synagoga Judaica, de Judaeorum Fide". 1712, "Synagoga Judaica, de Judaeorum Fide," Third Edition, Choice Extremely Fine.
This book, titled "Johannes Buxtorf's Synagoga Judaica, de Judaeorum Fide, Ritibus, Ceremoniis, tam Publicis & Sacris, quam Privatis, in domestica vivendi ratione: tertia editione…" was published in Basel, by George Konig in 1712. This is the third edition, and the item measures 7 x 4¼ in. It has 779 pages, contemporary marbled paper-covered boards, and a paper library label pasted on spine. Fline; some foxing throughout, as well as some dark browning. An important treatise on the Jewish synagogue from the celebrated Hebraist Buxtorf. The text has been written in Latin and Hebrew.
Estimated Value $400 - 800.
Ex Henry E. Luhrs Collection.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 582 |
 |
Johannis Buxtorf - 17th Century Classic Book on Jewish Practices. "Synagoga Judaica… - auspiciis authoris jam olim Latinitate donata; nunc primùm in vulgus emissa. Basileae: Impensis Ludovici König,' 1641. 17 cm (8vo), Edited by Johann Buxtorf the younger; Translation by David Le Clerc, Some staining to the vellum cover and some browing and foxing, with the inside printed pages generally clean. "Buxtorf's observations of Jewish practice in Germany at the beginning of the seventeenth century are an invaluable source for the practice of Judaism, as it appeared to an admittedly biased, yet quite well informed, observer…". (Ref: Alan D. Corré, [Ed and trans.], Synagoga Judaica (Juden-schül). We could not find another 1641 edition being offered or a prior sales record online, the Austrian book dealer, Matthäus Truppe Buchhandlung & Antiquariat, had a later, 1728 German edition offered for $1209.00 as of late March, 2006 and this book has what appears to be a prior purchase price of (£)1325.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 583 |
 |
Meir, Begin, and Dayan Signed Photograph. Black and white photograph of a group of 23 Israeli officials, signed in Hebrew by Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and Menachem Begin, 5x7 in., n.p., n.d. Fine.
Estimated Value $300 - 400.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$690 |
Lot 584 |
 |
Meir, Golda (1898-1978) Russian-born, American-raised Prime Minister of Israel (1969-74). She moved to Palestine in 1921 and became active in the labor movement, serving as Israel's minister of labor and then foreign affairs. She was resigned as Prime Minister in 1974 after being heavily criticized for Israel's lack of preparedness in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Exceedingly rare Autograph Letter Signed ("Golda") as Israeli Foreign Minister, on her 2 x 3¾ in. business card imprinted in Hebrew "Golda Meir/Foreign Minister," (Jerusalem, c. 1957-65). Written in Hebrew, to Baruch (Zuckerman). In full "Dear Baruch, I am very sorry that I will not be able to attend your birthday, along with your whole family. A thrombosis in my leg has put me in the hospital. Had I come I would have asked for permission to say what is in my heart. I will wait for another opportunity and for now I will only send you my best wishes and many returns. I send my love to you, Nina and the girls." Fine condition with an indiscernible mid-vertical fold. Autograph Letters Signed of Golda Meir are virtually unobtainable. In the last 27 years, while Meir typed letters signed have appeared at major auction houses from time to time, not one ALS has ever been offered for sale. This one, written to an early Zionist leader, is one of exceptional Israeli historical association.
Baruch Zuckerman (1887-1970) emigrated from Poland to the United States in 1904 and, inspired by Herzl, founded the Poale Zion Publishing Association in New York, which published the works of leading Zionists who sought to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Poale Zion (Hebrew for Workers of Zion) was a movement of Marxist Zionist workers circles founded in various Russian cities around 1900 and in New York City in 1903. Zuckerman was executive director of the People's Relief Committee from 1915 to 1924 when it disbanded, and accompanied Herbert Hoover and investment banker Herbert Lehman to Poland to bring food and clothing to those in need. After World War I, Poale Zion in Palestine was merged by David Ben-Gurion into the Achdut Ha'avoda party which eventually became Mapai, of which Golda Meir was a member and later secretary-general. Zuckerman, leader of the American Poale Zion, was one of the founders and officers of the American Jewish Congress and president of the Labor Zionist Organization of America which Meir joined in 1915.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 585 |
 |
Meir, Golda. Book signed in blue ink on the first end paper, being the first American edition of her autobiography, My Life (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975), 480pp., 9¼ x 6¼ in. Blue cloth covers with gilt lettering on spine. Interior is tight and clean. Dust jacket is toned with several small edge splits. The woman who became prime minister of Israel describes her personal and political journey.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 586 |
 |
Rabin, Yitzhak (1922-95) A Prime Minister and military leader of Israel. He negotiated a peace treaty with the Palestinians, leading to the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated by a Jewish fanatic in 1995. Autograph letter signed ("Yitzhak Rabin") and ("YR") on Royal Garden Hotel stationery, 2pp (recto/verso), 8 x 5 in., in Hebrew, London, England, 19 February 1968.
As he leaves for the U.S. to become Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Rabin writes to a friend. In part, "Dear Nehemiah, Today we end our stay in Europe and go directly to Washington…Actually, tomorrow begins the second course of our lives, as is often said in the Israel Defense Forces…We came to you immediately after leaving Israel. It is not easy to leave the country for a long period of time…We had the privilege of being in France during the visit by the President of Iraq, 'Arif. It was rather amusing to see the French wooing that shady Iraqi. But it was even more amusing to see how, after all that obvious and well-publicized wooing, they didn't get anything real from him…In England…I got into trouble by being willing to give lectures. The…"Magbit" as it is known here, was very efficient and made me work hard. In four days and nights, one of which was the Sabbath, I gave seven speeches, attended six cocktail parties, four meetings with the press, and so forth…All in all, it was a pleasant vacation which enabled us to discharge our tensions, and it constituted the best possible transition period between Israel and the beginning of the assignment in the United States…." Rare full signature of Yitzhak Rabin is highly desirable; Y. Rabin is more common. Fine condition with the usual folds. With translation.
Five months after his trip to France, the President of Iraq, Abd ar-Rahman Arif, was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by the Ba'th military group in Iraq. 'Arif was stripped of his power and ordered to leave the country. The Revolutionary Command Council elected al-Bakr president and Saddam Hussein vice president. As al-Bakr's health deteriorated, Saddam Hussein and members of the Ba'th party took full control and turned the country into a dictatorship. Those who were not loyal to the Ba'th party were removed from the government.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 587 |
 |
Rare 1947 Jerusalem Newspaper Announcing the Partition of Palestine. Rare English language Newspaper "The Palestine Post", of 30 November 1947, announcing the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. On 29 November 1947 the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, a plan to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine, was approved by the United Nations General Assembly. Very good.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 588 |
 |
Schindler, Emilie (1907-2001) Humanitarian; wife of Oskar Schindler. She worked alongside her husband to save 1200 Jews from certain death in the Holocaust. In May 1994, Emilie Schindler received The Righteous Amongst the Nations Award. Signature in red ink on an 11½ x 8 in. announcement of a Yom Hashoah Commemoration at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, with Mrs. Schindler as the keynote speaker. Fine.
Estimated Value $500 - 1,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 589 |
 |
Schindler, Oskar (1908-1974) German industrialist, Nazi party member, and war profiteer who spent his entire fortune and risked his life during World War II to save over 1200 Jews by employing them at his enamelware factory (Deutsche Emaillewaren-Fabrik) in Kraków and protected them by bribing German officials. Today some 6,000 to 7,000 descendants of the Jews Schindler saved live in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. In 1949 Schindler emigrated to Argentina and bought a farm there, but he went bankrupt and in 1957, he left his wife in Argentina and moved back to Germany, where every subsequent business he tried also failed. He was saved from destitution by funds provided by some of his Schindlerjuden, the Jews he had saved, and by a small pension received from the West German government in 1968. In 1962, Oskar Schindler was declared a "righteous Gentile," an honor awarded by Israel to non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust at great personal risk. He was the only former member of the Nazi party invited to plant a tree at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem memorial. When he died in 1974, Schindler was buried, as he had requested, in Jerusalem.
Typed letter signed ("Oskar"), 3pp (recto/verso/recto), on onionskin paper, Frankfurt am Main, 2 Jan. 1964. With six words and one correction in Schindler's hand, and parts of two sentences underlined for emphasis. Accompanied by an English translation. Very good; some uneven age yellowing. Addressed to "Dear Hermann!" Alfred Hermann was a Czech Jew born 19 May 1893. He was Prisoner Number 77135 and Number 747 on Schindler's List, where he was listed as an accountant.
Schindler discusses his life after the war and the physical and verbal abuse to which he was subjected because of the assistance he had given the Jews during the war. In part:
"As you learned from German television, Channel 2, Mr. Hilfert intends to visit you in N.Y…. He wants to make a feature about you and some of our friends for television and produce material for your article in New York Herald Tribune …It seems to be of no consequence that I’m present. On 12.30.1963, at an exhibition at Frankfurt’s Paulskirche honoring the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, I had a short conversation with Mr. Hilfert. (The exhibition coincides with the trial against Auschwitz guards in the City Hall next door.)…. In your first article, and unfortunately I don't read English, it supposedly says that I was stoned on the streets of Frankfurt. This is untrue and must be based on a translation error …However, it is true that I was attacked with an iron rod in my factory by one of my workers. This happened in a suburb of Frankfurt in front of 10 witnesses, and I fell down the stairs into concrete blocks on the floor. The emphasis was not on the injuries I sustained but on the words that were spoken: You dirty Jew. They forgot to gas you. Half an hour later, I pressed charges with the Hanau police in front of witnesses, but nobody followed up on my complaint….The police did nothing, and even my lawyer…advised me to let it go. At this time, I had been receiving medical treatments…due to my cardiovascular problems, and I didn’t want to deal with this issue….I was boycotted and we experienced an unusually cold winter….This was a new enterprise, we had no reserve assets and finally we received an eviction notice.
I have to reject the notion that these events could turn me into a martyr or that they were caused by political intrigue against me….On the other hand, I cannot bear the notion that things beyond my control are being trivialized. And Mr. Hilfert was wrong when he stated that You dirty Jew. They forgot to gas you is a common saying in Frankfurt.
But I have to complain about a company I used to do business with. Witnesses were unavailable to Mr. Hilfert since they were sick or had been fired, but their attorney revealed himself as an 'old Nazi' in front of witnesses. He commented on my visit to Israel and on my support for Jews during the war by saying: 'Because of your behavior, I have an eye on you, Herr Schindler. I am an old Nazi.'….I informed my lawyer, and my co-owner, Herr von Wangenheim, about this incident. The result was that our business with them sunk to 10%.
After talking to me, Mr. Hilfert plans to find more witnesses to the assault on me and to my failed business. Today…my lawyer…informed me that he had told Mr. Hilfert, 'They didn’t beat Schindler to death. He’s still alive.' This was only a small part of their conversation, and it might have been intended to be a compliment on my physical and mental strength, but it doesn’t help.
Dear Hermann, we have known each other now for 30 years, and unfortunately we’re getting older. We’ve always had the courage to face the truth, and it didn’t matter if personal, national or racial matters were involved. We have fought hard and honestly for our Golden Years, even though success was sometimes elusive. Therefore, I ask you to give the attached copy and newspaper article [not present] to your friend, the journalist, who was kind enough to publish your piece of writing. I want this gentleman to have an objective view of what happened. I want you, your family, and all of your friends to be healthy and successful, and I remain, as always, Yours, Oskar."
Our research shows that this is the first Oskar Schindler letter ever to appear at auction.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 30,000.
View details and enlarged photos
| Realized
$31,050 |
Lot 590 |
 |
(Sharett) Shertok, Moshe (1894-1965) Second Prime Minister of Israel (1953-1955). He was a signatory of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and Israel's first Minister of Foreign Affairs. Typed letter signed as head of the Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel, 1p, 10¾ x 8½ in., in Hebrew, Jerusalem, 1 Oct. 1933. To Mr. P. Joseph in Tel Aviv requesting assistance regarding "cases in which the law has been applied in order to limit the possibilities for Jews to purchase land…and…in which the sellers of land use special means to circumvent the law…." With English translation. Fine; light soiling.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 591 |
 |
Sharon, Ariel. Campaign sign for the 2001 Israeli election signed in black ink in the lower border, 19½ x 27½ in. In Hebrew. Fine; one small edge tear. Sharon won the election and served as Prime Minister from March 2001 to January 4, 2006, when he suffered a stroke and fell into a coma.
Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$75 |
Lot 592 |
 |
Sharon, Ariel Poster of face (1928 -) Controversial Israeli politician; prime minister (2001-06). Color poster signed in Hebrew in black marker on Sharon's cuff, 27½ x 19 in. Fine.
Estimated Value $200 - 300.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 593 |
 |
Szold, Henrietta (1860-1945) U.S. Jewish scholar and Zionist leader, born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of a rabbi. She founded the Jewish women's organization Hadassah in 1912 and served as its president until 1926. In 1933 working with Hadassah in Palestine, she ran Youth Aliyah which rescued some 22,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe. Szold lived the rest of her life in Palestine and died in Jerusalem on 13 February 1945.
Remarkable autograph letter signed as president of Hadassah, 4pp, 6½ x 5¼ in., on a folded lettersheet, Waco, Texas, 31 December 1917. Written to Judge and Mrs. S. J. Strauss in Pennsylvania only weeks after the Balfour Declaration was issued. Accompanied by the original envelope with Szold's return address care of Hadassah. In part: "…I have a very strong sense of obligation towards you – your hospitality extended to my person and my propaganda of the 're-establishment of the People of the Holy Land as an independent nation' in relation to the Jews. But the centre of Jewish (?) which, according to your idea, could then arise in Palestine, would not be the Zionist centre we dream of. The Zionist insistence is that the Jew must have one spot on earth on which the Jewish spirit shall be absolutely free, and to secure such freedom the whole…must be Jewish, its political form as well as every other national manifestation. Such Jewish predominance acknowledged…will not stand in the way of that equal protection for all faiths which in your opinion can be secured only by the…predominance of the Jew through slow infiltration. In this Christian American nation of ours equal protection for all faiths has been secured. Under our Jewish Jewish nation – a nation Jewish in race and faith - all faiths will be free as well. But this freedom that will prevail will be one of the affluences of the Jewishly-constituted national life. The Zionist demand is unblinking - a legally-assured, publicly sound…homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine…If you are to visit Palestine and see our new Jewish life then with your own eyes, you who drew up the near-Zionist resolutions would take the small but all-significant step to the Zionist platform… With cordial regards and with best wishes for a happy new year for our stricken world…" S.J. Strauss was a Pennsylvania judge and early Zionist leader. Minor fold splits and a few contemporary ink smears on one page, otherwise about fine.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500.
View details and enlarged photos
| Realized
$3,565 |
Lot 594 |
 |
Weizman, Chaim (1874-1952) Polish born Israeli chemist and politician who was the first president of Israel (1948-1952). Printed Document Signed "Chaim Weizmann" as first President of Israel and "Moshe Sharett" as first Foreign Minister, one page, 25 x 17 in., in Hebrew. Completed in manuscript block letters. Hakirya, 1 Sivan 5710 (May 17, 1950). Official embossed 2½ in. diameter paper seal affixed near lower edge and embossed with the seal of the State of Israel at top center. Appointment of Chaim Raphael as Deputy Consul of Israel in London. In part, "His jurisdiction will include the entire United Kingdom and Northern Ireland…I hereby request King George the Sixth, and all the authorities with an interest in the matter, to recognize Mr. Chaim Raphael in his declared office, and allow him the freedom to fulfill his role in confidence, to grant him all the rights and immunities he is entitled to by his office and grant him all the assistance and protection he may need…" Very good; repaired breaks in right margin affect nothing.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 595 |
 |
Weizmann, Chaim. Black & white photograph, 9 x 6¾ in. on a 10 x 12¼ in. mount, signed by both Chaim and Vera Weizmann in Hebrew on the lower mount, inscribed to Yigat Kimchi, 1949, the year the Sieff Institute was renamed the Weizmann Institute of Science in his honor, and one year before he was elected the First President of Israel. In addition to his pioneering political activity, Weizmann's success as a scientist and the success of the Institute he founded make him an iconic figure in the heritage of the scientific community today. Some foxing and creases to mount, but the photograph is fine.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 596 |
 |
Wiesenthal, Simon (1908-2005) Nazi hunter. Six-page, typewritten bulletin from his Documentation Center in Vienna, Signed ("S. Wiesenthal"), April 1967. Wiesenthal gives information on 36 different cases on which he is working at the time. Cases include Franz Stangl, the commander of the extermination camps Treblinka and Sobibor, who has been located in South America and arrested. (He was sentenced to life in prison and died there.) Another case involves Hermine Braunsteiner, a murderous SS guard who has been found living in Queens, New York. (She, too, will be sentenced to life in prison.) This is a fascinating look at the 1967 status of Wiesenthal's unrelenting efforts to track down Nazis. A couple of pages are a little ragged at the top, affecting nothing.
Estimated Value $400 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 597 |
 |
Zalman, Shazar (1889-1974) Author, poet and the third president of Israel (1963 - 1973); his portrait is printed on the 200 NIS bills. Autograph letter signed, on Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel (Shazar was acting chairman 1956-60), 2pp, in Hebrew, Jerusalem, n.y. 15 Dec. To an American friend, expressing gratitude for gifts from Shazar's brother, for greetings from the Hebrew Language and Culture Association, and regarding a possible visit to the United States. With English translation. Also with a 1972 card, written and signed in English.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 598 |
 |
A Polish Catholic Is Arrested For Cooperating With Jews. Partly-printed typed document signed by Heinrich Müller, Hitler's Gestapo chief who oversaw the implementation of Hitler's policies against all groups deemed a threat to the state, 1p, 10¼ x 8¼ in., in German. Secret State Police, Cracow, 5 June 1944, Headed "Protective Custody," the document identifies Jan Dzielski, born on 15 February 1905, as a married Catholic Polish worker living in Cracow. He is being detained because of cooperating with Jews. Portion torn off from blank bottom left corner. Fine condition. This document was issued the day before D-Day. Polish Catholics as well as Jews were sent from Cracow to Auschwitz. At this same time, a 24-year-old Polish Catholic student named Karol Wojtyla was in his second year secretly studying for the priesthood in Cracow's underground seminary run by Adam Stefan Sapieha, Archbishop of Cracow. In 1963, Wojtyla became Archbishop of Cracow and, in 1978, Pope John Paul II.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 599 |
 |
British Military Medals, Palestine 1945-48. Two sterling silver British military medals, each presented to soldiers of the African Pioneer Corps who participated during the post-World War II British mandate in Palestine. Each general service medal is approximately 1¼ in. diameter with a connected ribbon bar engraved "PALESTINE 1945-48." A bust portrait of King George VI is depicted in left profile, encircled by "GEORGIVS VI D.G.BR.OMN REX ET INDIAE IMP." The reverse shows winged victory in a Greek helmet holding a trident in her left hand as she bestows a palm wreath on a winged sword. Each medal is engraved with a soldier’s name on its edge: "AS.18525 PTE.K.PATI. A.P.C." and "AS.18815 PTE P.RASETHUNTSA A.P.C." Both Privates K. Pati and P. Rasethuntsa were members of the African Pioneer Corps. Fine condition.
Estimated Value $300 - 400.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 600 |
 |
Five Accused Polish Saboteurs Are Ordered to Plaszow Concentration Camp. Typed document initialed by an official, 1p, 12 x 8¼ in. (Plaszow), Poland, 2 Aug. 1944. Headed in German and Polish: "Polish Police Station." Text in Polish. Five people are listed, each accused of sabotage and ordered to be sent to the Plaszow Concentration Camp on 3 August 1944: Albert Zóbe, Jozef Openchinski, Jan Stanoraski, Eva Rospondek, and Jacek Kasperek. The SS-WVHA is mentioned at the end of the list. Oswald Pohl, general of the Waffen-SS and head of the SS-WVHA (the main bureau for economic administration), was in charge of the organization of the concentration camps. Two file holes in blank left margin, lightly creased, else in fine condition.
The camp at Plaszow was opened in December 1942. As the Russian forces advanced in late 1944, the Germans began the evacuation of the slave labor camps in their path. From the camp at Plaszow, many were sent to Auschwitz. Oskar Schindler saved 1200 Jews (Schindlerjuden) from Plasnow by claiming that he needed them to work at his enamelware factory in Krakow.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 601 |
 |
French Anti-Semitic Propoganda Made to Look Like A Dollar Bill. Anti-Jewish literature, in French, made to look like a U.S. dollar bill on the front and back; it opens to anti-Semitic propaganda, with the motto "This dollar paid for the Jewish war," (France), c. 1934-45. A series of slurs includes: "The Secretary of the Treasury for the United States is a Jew, Morgenthau Jr., akin to the big sharks of international finance"; All Jewish attributes figure on this dollar: The Eagle of Israel, the Triangle, the Eye of Jehovah…olive tree branches, unfinished steps of the Pyramid…. The money doesn't have an odor but the Jew has one!" Very good; some tape repair to folds. An unusual reminder of hateful intolerance.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
View details and enlarged photos
| Unsold |
Lot 602 |
 |
Judaica Stock Book/Dividend Coupon Kupat Ashrai. Book of coupons numbered 353-399 in Hebrew and English, printed by Hamadpis Liphshitz in Jerusalem in the 1930's and each with an ornate border around it and ten unused coupons attached. These certificates relate to the organization of the Poland Orthodox Jews in Eretz-Israel. The first certificate is loose, else fine.
Estimated Value $300 - 500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 603 |
 |
Notification of the Execution of "40 professional criminals" at Auschwitz. Typed document signed by an officer of the Secret State Police (the Gestapo), 1p, 11 x 8¼ in., Krakow, 22 November 1940. To the Commander of K.L.-Auschwitz. (K.L. is the abbreviation for Konzentrationslager--Concentration Camp). Initially, K.L. Auschwitz was built for Polish prisoners and the first group of political prisoners comprising 728 men was transported there from a prison in Tarnów on 14 June 1940. This document accompanied a list (not present) "of the 40 professional criminals who were shot 22.11.1940 in the K.L. Auschwitz on instruction of the R.S.H.A." The R.S.H.A., the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Security Main Office), was a subordinate organization of the SS created by Himmler on 22 September 1939, through the merger of the Security Agency, the Gestapo, and the Criminal Police. It was headed by Reinhard Heydrich. Two file holes in blank left margin. Fine condition.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
|
|
