Treasure Trove looks at the enduring and international appeal of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway on Sept. 22, 1964. The musical, based on a story by Sholem Aleichem, is about the life of Tevye the milkman, and his three daughters in the town of Anatevka. Although Anatevka was a fictional place, it’s now the name of a village for refugees outside Kyiv and has Jewish […]
Treasure Trove has comes to life at an exhibit in New York City
Why would the Oriental Fisheries Co. of Chicago name a brand of the finest Norwegian brisling sardines after Theodor Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement and the visionary of the State of Israel? The truth is, I don’t know. Although some might say that branding tiny fish with Herzl’s name and likeness discredits his memory, […]
Treasure Trove: If you own a share like this, Israel could owe you some money
The Jewish Colonial Trust was established on March 20, 1899. The first Zionist bank was the brainchild of Theodor Herzl who understood that funding would be required to make his vision of a Jewish homeland a reality. Each share cost one English pound, the equivalent of $280 today. (Herzl bought the first 1,000 shares which was a […]
Treasure Trove explores Israel’s treatment at the United Nations
On May 11, 1949, after the Security Council concluded that Israel is a peace-loving nation, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to admit the Jewish state as the 59th member of the United Nations. The UN now has 193 members. United Nations Resolution 181 dated Nov. 29, 1947 called for the creation of […]
Treasure Trove: Israel’s first university, Technion, celebrates 100 years of education
The Technion—The Israel Institute of Technology is celebrating its centennial this year. The idea of developing an educational institution of engineers to support the development of the future state was first discussed at the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901 and fundraising began in 1908. The cornerstone of Israel’s first university was laid in 1912 […]
Treasure Trove examines the controversial leader of an American Zionist group
This certificate represents a $1,000 donation to the Palestine Independence Fund “to aid and speed the recognition of a democratic Hebrew nation”. The fund was an arm of the American League for a Free Palestine, and the certificate states that the donation will “help underwrite Hebrew independence in recognition that only through the security and dignity […]
Treasure Trove: Herzl’s words from 1899 remain relevant to Israel’s direction today
There were 22 Zionist Congresses before the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948. The Third Zionist Congress was held in Basel, Switzerland from Aug. 15 to 18, 1899. This is a guest card to attend the Congress. The Third Congress was the first held since a delegation of Zionists led by Theodor Herzl met […]
Treasure Trove explores what security guards and athletes have in common
“Guard and Sport” was the theme of the trading cards included in packages of Dubek cigarettes sold in Palestine in 1939. This is the cover of the album in which the complete set of 216 cards could be stored. The image is of one of the Notrim (guards) who were Jewish auxiliaries, mainly police, armed and […]
Treasure Trove recalls the 1937 Paris world’s fair and the ‘Israel in Palestine’ pavilion
The pavilion tried to popularize the idea of Jews migrating to Mandatory Palestine.
Treasure Trove is cheering for Israel’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics
The Paris Olympics open on Friday, July 26. For the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Israel will compete in the Olympic soccer tournament (the team’s first game is against Mali on July 24). Soccer (known as football outside North America) was introduced to Israel in the 1910s and was popularized by the British during […]
