Jerusalem

A Zionist view of Jerusalem from the mid-1930s.

This dramatic black-and-white view of Jerusalem was designed by Maximilian Romanoff and published locally by Keren Hayesod in 1936. It was issued as part of a bilingual (Hebrew and English) circular printed by Goldberg’s Press and aimed at primarily American members of the Jewish diaspora during the Great Depression.

The image presents an aerial perspective of the holy city, with numerous locations of interest labeled and/or highlighted in yellow. These reflect an interesting contrast between ancient and modern sites, such as Mount Moriah (Temple Mount), and the autobus services available for local tourists. Accompanying text, authored by Ben-Zwi, describes a brief history of the city, the contemporary religious and political circumstances, primary locations of interest, and other relevant information. It concludes with a description of the publisher;

“The Keren Hayesode – the main financial instrument of the Jewish Agency – has raised the sum of 5,438,000 by means of voluntary taxation over a period of fifteen years. Its most important field of activities is that of agricultural colonsation, on which it has expended 1,846,000. This activity has also drawn Jerusalem, connected with so many sacred traditions, into its scope and has invested it with a new role by linking it up with the surging new life in Eretz Israel.”