Menachem Mendel » Stamps

Rabbis on Stamps

Menachem Mendel — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:03:36 +0000

Menachem Butler alerts us to the latest collection of Professor Shnayer Z. Leiman that has been posted online, Rabbis on Stamps. As a stamp collector, Professor Leiman’s collection is very impressive.

Lately I have been trying to expand my collection of postal covers that were either sent by, or to, rabbis, focusing on pre-State Palestine. Here’s my latest.

Postcards from the Holy Land

Menachem Mendel — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:40:57 +0000

Recently I received the book Postcards from the Holy Land: A Pictorial History of the Ottoman Era, 1880-1918 by Salo Aizenberg. I am a collector of stamps and postcards, and this book is a beautiful collection and presentation of postcards. The author takes the reader on a tour of the history of the Holy Land during the late Ottoman Era through the use of beautifully photographed postcards. The book is available for $35 plus s/h from House of Zion. It’s not listed on their website, but you can send them an email.

Postcards for the Jewish New Year were once very common and they are a popular item for collectors. See here for some examples. The Israeli Postal Service has even recently reprinted some older New Years Cards as part of a campaign to encourage the use of the good-old postal system. Just the other day I purchased on Ebay a postcards, which while formally not a New Year’s postcard, showed in my opinion the importance of greetings for the New Year. The postcard was send from Yugoslavia to Palestine in 1936. Shanah Tovah to all of you and your families.

Hanukkah in Israeli Stamps

Menachem Mendel — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:35:00 +0000

Having recently rediscovered the multi-generational family hobby of stamp collecting, I thought that I would point out a whole series of Israeli stamp having to do with Hanukkah. Over a number of years the Israeli Postal Service issued stamps with images relating to Hanukkah, both hanukkiyot and other objects related to the holiday. Below are those images. I apologize for the quality of the scans, these were the ones available at the website of the Israeli Philatelic Federation. One can read this article for detailed information regarding what is depicted in each stamp. Also, see Jacob Richman’s web site for other Hanukkah stamps, and also here.

Oil lamp from the Talmudic Period.

A 20th century menorah carved in stone.

Illumination from the Rothschild Miscellany.

Menorah from Morocco.

Folking Menorah from the Lodz Ghetto, 1944.

Coin from the Bar-Kochba Revolt