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Lot 130

Ruth and Moshe Dayan – Two Autograph Letters – London, 1935

Two autograph letters by Ruth and Moshe Dayan, addressed to Ruth's parents, Tzvi and Rachel Schwartz. London, 1935. • Letter dated October 6, 1935. One sheet folded in half – three and a half pages, handwritten and signed by Ruth Dayan, and half a page handwritten and signed by Moshe Dayan. Ruth writes to her parents about the new apartment Moshe and she found in London, to which they had recently moved, about Israelis and English Jews she encountered (including a close relationship that developed between her and Dov Hoz), a visit to Karl Marx's grave, and the various difficulties she is experiencing, including her meager chances of finding employment, her dislike of the London Jewish community, etc. Moshe briefly writes about his experience of the city, and tells of his plan to start learning English. [1] ff. folded in half (4 written pages), 20 cm. Good condition. Minor fold lines and creases. Minor stains. Minor tears to edges. • Letter dated December 12, 1935. One sheet, folded in half – approx. two pages handwritten and signed by Moshe Dayan, and approx. one page handwritten and signed by Ruth Dayan. Moshe writes about his miserable mood, stemming from the great challenge of integrating in London and the difficulty to land a job, mentions Ruth's pottery course, the speakers in Hyde Park, reacting to the Italo-Ethiopian War, and nationalist demonstrations against England's involvement in the conflict. Ruth writes about their move to a new apartment, about her new job, the bicycles Moshe and she bought, and her hopes for the future. [1] ff. folded in half (three written pages), 20 cm. Good condition, minor fold lines and creases. Minor stains. Some minor tears to edges. Ruth and Moshe Dayan spent roughly 6 months in London, and returned to Palestine in February 1936. According to Ruth's autobiography, their stay in London was cut short due to Moshe's difficulty in assimilating, his homesickness, and the deteriorating state of security in Palestine, which made it all the more clear to him that he must return home (for further reading see: "…Or did I dream a dream? The story of Ruth Dayan", by Ruth Dayan and Helga Dudman, 1973). Provenance: Estate of Ruth Dayan.