THE DETR OIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, August 14, 19 59- 1 0

ig Business in Israel

The Science of Stamps: A

A former lawyer in Czecho-
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
TEL AVIV - - J.AFFA — Phi- slovakia, Dr. Hesky came to Is-
lately has become a science. rael in 1939. Hitler had already
For Israel it has become, also. been in Czechoslovakia for a
an industry with major export year, and Dr. Hesky, who had
potentials. To the postal author- been active in the Zionist move-
ites of Israel, it has become ment and a member of Hista-
much more important that phi- drut for many years, managed
lately should be an aspect of to escape the Nazi holocaust
and to reach Israel. He joined
educational progress.
the postal service of Palestine
The value of stamps as text- in April of 1948, three weeks
books and as a cultural medium before the establishment of the
was explained at the Jaffa Post State of Israel.
Office by Dr. Moshe Hesky, who
About a year ago, a rumor
is in charge of Israel's stamp
printing and designing depart- had spread that there was a
shortage of Israeli stamps, and
ment.
Dr. Hesky pointed out that there was a run on the Israel
the Israel government does not Post Office for all available is-
view stamp sales and encour- sues. "We are doing everything
agement to stamp collectors as we can to prevent a recurrence
merely an income-bearing mat- of such a condition," Dr. Hesky
ter. He declared that the aim said, "and we wish to assure
in producing the colorful stamps philatelists that there will not
that have attracted worldwide be a shortage of. stamps." But
attention is to create an interest there are frequent discards, and
in Israel, in Biblical and Jew- Dr. HeSky showed us the func-
ish history and in the events tions of a special department, in
depicted in the Israeli stamps. the Jaffa Post Office, where dis-
Dr. Hesky revealed that U. carded issues are destroyed un-
rael has established a world der careful scrutiny.
A special department of the
record in enlisting philatelic
Israel philately service is de-
subscribers. "We now have
voted to the schools, under
more than 35,000 philately
subscribers," he said. "This is
larger even than the U. S. sub-
scribers' list of 25,000. On a Calls German Bias
pro rata basis, to match Is- `No Real Danger'
rael's 35,000, the U. S. should,
NEW YORK (JTA) — Anti-
population - wise, have. more
than 3,000,000 subscribers. We Semitism in Germany does not
are, of course, flattered by our constitute any "real danger" to
accomplishment, and we are JeWs there, Eric 011eanhauer,
continuing to search for the chairman of the Social Demo-
best designs in order to retain cratic Party in West Germany,
our status in the philately told the Jewish Labor Commit-
tee here.
market."
An IBM service is used to
"We are the last to minimize
Service the 35,000 subscribers to anti-Semitic attacks," 011ean-
Israel's new postage stamp is- hauer wrote in reply to a
sues. Dr. Hesky has explained query f r o m the Conimittee,
that Israel has six to seven new "but these things should be
issues a year. The newest stamp, seen in their proper propor-
released this week, is dedicated tion. Every single anti-Semitic
to the late Hayyim Nahman Bi- outburst is, of course, an of-
• alik, who was considered the fense to human dignity and is
greatest.. Hebrew poet of the being treated from our side as
century. Preparations already such.
are being made for the new set
"We share your anxiety on
of Holy Day stamps to be pro-
duced in time for Rosh Hashan- recent developments of anti-
ah and Yom Kippur, in Septem- Semitic outbursts, a n d any-
body who has followed events
ber.
All of Israel's stamps are close at hand—that means on
printed in Israel. There are 100 the spot in Germany — will
employees in the philately serv- know that our party has been
ice, and the demand for stamps leading the attack against a
is so great that they work in two renaissance of anti-Semitism,"
shifts. The artists and designers the leader of the Social Demo-
are mostly Israelis, with some cratic Party continued.
He added that his party and
exceptions, among them being
the eminent B r i ti s h artist, the trade union movement
Abram Games, of London, who were "bearing the brunt of the
comes here occasionally to exe- struggle against old and new
Nazi elements."
cute a new design. .

Brief Briefing on Year in Israel

Although 180 different stamps
the direction of Herwald stamps to philatelists—than be-
Loeb. Dr. Hesky explained cause it was fully recognized have been issued by Israel, the
that stamps serve as excellent that the little scrap of paper number is not considered "par-
textbooks in the subjects rep- called a postage stamp is an ex- ticularly large." But the variety
resented by the . stamps, and cellent means of publicity, of designs, the commemorative
he explained that the use of reaching all parts of the world. symbols and the historic inci-
stamps as subjects for discus•
"From the beginning, the dents depicted gave the stamps
sion in schools is part of the greatest care was taken that the special significance, notably for
effort to make philately an stamp issues should be of the Biblical students. That is why
educational approach.
highest artistic value. Israel's the Israeli stamps have top
value in international philately.
Philatelists will be interested best graphic artists were enlist-
Israel has established a
to know that the special feature ed, and everything was done to
precedent
in stamp making.
improve
the
technical
equip-
of Israel's stamps are the rows
of explanatory tablets—tabs, in ment necessary for the highly The idea of having explana-
philatelic language—at the foot specialized job of stamp print- tory tablets—tabs--at the foot
of stamp sheets is now being
of each stamp sheet. "Stamps ing.
copied by many foreign coun-
with adjacent tabs are so much
"The country's earlier is-
tries.
in demand that this invention is sues had to be printed with-
today copied by many foreign out the help of any of the
Israel's "exports" of stamps
countries," Dr. Hesky said, "but special equipment necessary has grown from $120 : 225 to
Israel remains the only country for stamp printing; at that $711,881 in 1957. Direct sales by
where tabs are printed together time the country also lacked the Israel Philately Services in
with every single regular stocks of gummed-paper, and hard currency countries are
stamp."
suitable printing ink.
shown in the following official
Approximately 50 hard cur-
"With the expulsion of hos- figures:
Israel Pounds
rency countries are represented tile Arab forces from Jaffa, the Fiscal Year
49,700
1651/2
in the subscribers' list for Is- road was open to the suburb of
106,800
1952/3
rael's stamps.
Bat Yam where Messrs. Lewin-
127,340
1953/4
The "success story" of Israel's Epstein, Israel's foremost offset-
249,250
1954/5
stamp collecting was explained printers, had installed a secur-
643,870
1955/6
in graphic form by Dr. Hesky. ity printing department. During
1,357,000
1956/7
Viewing the progress that was the following years, all Israel's
2.000,000
1957/8
attained under his direction, postage stamps were printed by
S (first ten months).
with the modesty that has dis- this company.
tinguished this interesting man.
"In 1952, the government
he reviewed the early stages of printer installed a photogravure
stamp-making in Israel as fol- printing plant, and from that
lows:
time on, an ever-increasing vol-
"During the period preceding ume of postage stamps was
Serving Detroit
the proclamation of our State, printed at Hakirya, Tel Aviv. At
stamps were printed abroad, and present two high speed roto-
Homes and Industry
as they were rather dull and not gravure presses, together with
for Over 45 Years
too well executed, not many col- the necessary workshops for
lectors were interested in them. photographic work and cylinder
"In March, 1947, the men re- making are in service."
sponsible for the Yishuv — the
Palestine Jewish community—
were confronted with the fact
that, after the end of the Brit-
ish Mandate if not sooner, no
, postage stamps would be avail-
able even if the current stamps
bearing the inscription Pales-
tine had been acceptable for use
in the New State.
"The outgoing government
planned the destruction of
postal installations, including
the existing stocks of poStage
YOU EXPECT MORE
stamps. At that time sketches
FROM HAMILTON
for a new set of postage
BEN GREEN
stamps designed by the Tel
AND GET IT !
JACK MANN
Aviv artist, Otto Wallish,
You Can't Drive Overhead — Why Pay For It!
were already in the hands of
Minhelet Ha'Ain, the provi-
sional peoples' administration.
"The order to print the
TO 6-2800
13519 HAMILTON at DAVISON
stamps was given in April, and
the actual printing started May
3, 1948-12 working days be-
fore the intended day of issue
—May 16, 1948. The stamps de-
picting ancient coins bore the
inscription 'Dom. Ivri'—Hebrew
Post, because at the time of
the printing, the name of the
new State was not yet known.
13015 W. Chicago, near Sorrento
"The stamps appeared, as
planned, on the first working
TE 4-8300
day of the new state (May 16)
and . were available at all post-
offices throughout the country,
except for Jerusalem, which
then was besieged by hostile
Arab forces and cut off from
the rest of the country."
Such was the romantic begin-
ning of Israel's postal system.
It is no wonder that the new
stamps received an enthusiastic
reception throughout the world
as a symbol of reborn Jewish
sovereignty and independence
in a free state.
There was temporary reluc-
tance in including the Israeli
stamps in foreign catalogues
and albums because Israel was
not yet a member of the Uni-
versal Postal Union. But the
Opened August 4
Israel Philatelic Services were
set up in August, 1948, and
stamp collectors soon "took to
the Israel stamps" with great
enthusiasm. Dr. Hesky made
MAURICE GARELICK PLUMBING AND
-
these interesting observations:
HEATING COMPANY
The setting-up of the new de-
partment was prompted less by
BENZ GLASS COMPANY — GLASS & GLAZING
financial considerations—though
GEORGE E. FINES COMPANY—
it was known that many coun-
CEMENT, ENAMEL
tries derived quite a substan•

JACOBSON

COAL & OIL CO.

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Three members of the fifth annual American Students
Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem check a
photo of the campus prior to departing for their year's course
of study in Jerusalem. The American group, which hails from
a cross-section of 26 U.S. universities, will devote its first four
months to an intense training course in the Hebrew language
and the remaining period to instruction in special subjects.
From left to right: Paula Vertelney, University of Minnesota;
Sheldon J. Korn, UCLA; and Linda Berman, Stanford Univer-

MEYER WEINGARDEN and SONS
General Contractors

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