The owner of a little Arab restaurant in Jerusalem's Old City has this old poster on his wall, and while waiting for my shawarma to be prepared I studied it.
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Back home, I studied its history.
The poster was painted in 1929 by a Jew born in Poland, back when the British (of the governing British Mandate) still called this land Palestine, before there was a State of Israel.
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Wiki says that Ze’ev Raban (1890-1970) was a leading painter and industrial designer of the Bezalel school style and was one of the founders of the Israeli art world.
He moved to the Land of Israel in 1912.
In the Bezalel school art style both Biblical and Zionist themes were portrayed in a style influenced by the European Jugenstil (similar to Art Nouveau).
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I wonder if the Arab owner realized how his "Come to Palestine" poster came to be.
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P.S. There is a huge collection online at the Palestine Poster Project Archives.
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Absolutely. Everything you quoted about Raban is correct: Ze’ev Raban was indeed a leading figure of the Bezalel Art School style.
ReplyDeleteOf course Raban was not in Palestine when Bezalel opened in March 1906. Even in 1912, when he arrived, he was too young. But later, when he was old enough, he was fantastic.
Those posters were distributed to Jewish communities around the world, to boost tourism. My grandparents certainly kept theirs :)
What a wonderful find Dina. I would love to have that poster and hang it in my new home.
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I love your effortless scholarship!
ReplyDeleteYou share your love of Eretz Israel with great heart-
Shalom & Aloha from Waikiki;
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That's a beautiful poster, Dina. Ahhhh... schwarma! We haven't had one in ages. We'll have to get some when we're in Chiago.
ReplyDeleteIt is so strange you found this in an Arab restaurant...
ReplyDeleteHe might be surprised. The Internet brings us so close together and so near information.
ReplyDeleteI hope your friends and loved one were spared by the latest bombing.
ReplyDeleteHels and all, thanks for your contributions here.
ReplyDeleteSpacedlaw, the terrorism down by Eilat is still going on right now. They have not released the names of the dead and wounded yet. It's very bad.
It's a beautiful poster! The Art Nouveau style is sutle but you can't miss it.
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