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Lot 24
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Jewish Brigade & Formation of Israel Archive Comprised of 230+ Pcs In English, German, & Hebrew, Ca. 1935-1948
Jewish Brigade & Formation of Israel Archive Comprised of 230+ Pcs In English, German, & Hebrew, Ca. 1935-1948
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Description:

Jewish Brigade & Formation of Israel Archive Comprised of 230+ Pcs In English, German, & Hebrew, Ca. 1935-1948

A large and diverse archive of 230+ historical documents and artifacts relating to the Jewish Brigade; the Zionist movement in Europe; Palestine during World War II; and the emergence of the modern Israeli state, ca. 1935-1948. The archive consists of: a vintage photo album containing 135+ World War II-era snapshots from Europe, Italy, the Middle East, and North Africa; a group of 25+ letters written by or addressed to a female officer of the Auxiliary Territorial Service serving in Palestine; 200+ documents primarily relating to the Israeli Defense Forces; 3 booklets including copybooks and a military songbook; and 4 newspaper clippings. The material is in English, German, and Hebrew. The majority of the foreign language material remains untranslated, but it was organized into bundles by a former collector with a knowledge of Hebrew.

The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group (also known as the Jewish Brigade Group) was a fighting unit within the British Army established in September 1944. The idea of creating an exclusively Jewish fighting force struck many as singularly appropriate, since the Nazis and their Final Solution aimed to eradicate Jews across Europe. Approximately 5,500 Jews in the area known as Mandatory Palestine were eventually recruited. Its soldiers saw action in the Italian campaign, and after the war, they served in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. In post-war Western Europe, the Jewish Brigade helped Holocaust survivors immigrate to Palestine. They also assassinated ex-Nazis, and smuggled weaponry to Haganah, a paramilitary organization that later became the nucleus of the Israel Defense Forces.

The archive thus explores the significant political, cultural, and ideological movements in Europe and the Middle East that set the stage for Israeli independence in 1948.

The lot is comprised of:

1. A vintage photo album containing more than 135 silver gelatin photos and snapshots, ca. 1938-1943. Some photos are annotated verso or on the album pages in a mixture of Hebrew, German, and English. The alligator skin-covered album is bound at left with green yarn. Expected wear to the covers, edges, and corners. The edges of the inner pages are slightly faded, and a few of the photo mounting corners are broken. Some missing photos and some blank album pages. The average size photo is 2.5" x 3.5" while the album measures 12.75" x 9.5" x 1" overall.

While some photos depict banal subjects, like an outing to the zoo or a swimming party and picnic, the majority of the photos depict wartime conditions and military subjects. For example, there are photos of a Nazi cemetery of Afrika Korps members killed in action, a Jewish grave from 1943, and abandoned airplane and tank wrecks. Album captions indicate that the photos were taken in Luxor, Egypt; Tobruk, Libya; Fort Capuzzo in Italian-held Libya; the Red Sea; and in the "Western Desert."

Selected captions include:

- "1941 Join the Army and see the desert."

- "You found a home in the Army."

- "The trio of which [only one is] left."

2. A small collection of correspondence, numbering approximately 26 pieces, written in both English and German, ca. 1935-1945. The majority of the letters were either written by or addressed to a female officer of the Middle East Forces of the Auxiliary Territorial Service named Sergeant Ruth Woltschansky; she served in Palestine during World War II. The autograph letters signed and typed letters signed show evidence of wear such as toning, chipping, and pin rusting, else very good. The majority of the material is in German and is untranslated.

Notable examples and selected excerpts include:

- The earliest letter of the group is dated October 28, 1935 on two sheets of pre-printed letterhead reading "Kibbuz Baderech / 'Hechaluz' / Deutscher Landesverband."

This suggests that Ruth Woltschansky, before her World War II service, was affiliated with the HeChalutz, a Jewish youth movement dedicated to providing agricultural training to people prior to their immigrating to Israel. The goal was to live on a kibbutz, or collective farm, in Israel. Ruth's training also involved the "Deutscher Landesverband" or German National Association, and took place in Lithuania.

- A September 26, 1944 autograph letter signed referring to Yom Kippur.

- A January 15, 1945 typed letter signed, reading in part: "Rudi has joined the Jewish Brigade and now we are two of the family in the Army."

- An October 6, 1945 autograph letter signed, mentioning the British Red Cross.

The Auxiliary Territorial Service was a women's unit in the British Army established in 1938 and disbanded in 1949. A.T.S. members typically fulfilled non-combat roles in order to free up men for fighting. As such, they were involved in communications, translation services, map making, as well as information and education departments, etc.

3. 200+ documents in Hebrew relating to the Israeli Defense Forces, untranslated but grouped into bundles by a former collector. The documents relate to the Military Rabbinate, Vaad Leumi, and Chevra Kadisha among other subjects.

- The first bundle is labeled "I. Epstein Teachers' Training Seminary," and is comprised of 4 documents in Hebrew, ca. 1948, including one document on "Hebrew Kindergarten Teachers' Training Seminary" letterhead.

- The second bundle is labeled "Establishment of Rabbanvi Ha-tz va'it (Chaplaincy of I.D.F.)" and consists of 3 documents, two on "Office of the Chief Rabbi of the Holy Land" letterhead.

The Military Rabbinate is a corps in the Israeli Defense Forces, where the Chief Military Rabbi also serves as a Brigadier General.

- The third bundle is labeled "'Ha-oved Ha-dati' Political Movement," made up of 10 typed and autograph letters signed; this material evidently relates to a religious labor union.

- The fourth bundle is labeled "Netzach (Chevra Kadisha) I.D.F." and is comprised of approximately 150 pieces. These papers may relate to war casualties, as there are doctor's bills, a completed form called the "Government of Palestine Department of Health Notification of Death," and multiple documents related to Jerusalem-based burial societies.

The Chevra Kadisha is a well-known Jewish burial society tasked with cleansing, dressing, and preparing Jews for burial within the religiously proscribed time frame.

- The fifth bundle is labeled "Miscellaneous." There are approximately 30 pieces, ca. 1947-1948, some on "Jewish Cultural Centre / Beth-Haam" and "General Council (Vaad Leumi) of the Jewish Community of Palestine" letterhead.

The Vaad Leumi was the executive body of the political assembly known as the Jewish National Council, founded in 1920. Its jurisdiction included the press; cultural affairs; relations with Arabs and the British; education; healthcare; social welfare; and the rabbinate.

4. 3 booklets including 2 copybooks and one military songbook. The 2 copybooks, complete with inky carbon sheets tucked inside, are 50pp in length. The smaller booklet has entries on about 48 leaves while the larger one has about 17 entries. Expected wear to the spines and covers.

Important details include:

- The collector has noted that Amram Blau (1894-1974), a Haredi rabbi associated with the Neturei Karti movement, is discussed on pages 4-6 of the smaller copybook.

The Neturei Karta is an extreme religious group that maintains that Jews should remain stateless until the arrival of the Messiah. In this way, the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 was premature.

- The Hebrew songbook is pen-inscribed September 17, 1944, which was the month the Jewish Brigade was formally established.

5. 4 vintage newspaper clippings and photocopies of clippings.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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August 26, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000