Haganah booklet celebrating the first year of Israeli statehood

Sherira, D. B. (editor). [Shanah be-Yisrael 708-709. Parashat ha-shanah bi-temunot]. A Year in Israel 5708-5709. A Pictorial Record.

€ 450,00

A rare Haganah publication on the first year of Israeli statehood printed in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew. The book is made up of 62 patriotic half-tone plates illustrated from photographs of war, politics, and parades, with a few additional images of ships of settlers. Each illustration is captioned in three languages, and most are dated.

The publication was intended for an audience of Israeli soldiers on the occasion of Rosh Hashana, with two introductory remarks addressed "To the Soldiers of the Nation" and "To the Soldiers of Israel", authored by Brigadier Chief of General Staff Yaakov Dory (1899-1973) and Chairman of the Central Soldiers Welfare Committee Joseph Baratz (1890-1968), respectively. Dory was the first Chief of Staff for the IDF, and Baratz was elected to the first Knesset; both had been involved with Haganah since the early days of the Zionist movement. The maps on the interior flaps of each wrapper, printed in colour, are titled "Palestine Partition Map according to U.N. Decision of 29th November 1947" and "Israel Occupied Area at the beginning of the second truce, 18th July, 1948".

Light wear, otherwise in good condition.