"Medinat HaYehudim…" (Der Iudenstaat / The Jewish State: A New Approach to Solving the Jewish Question, translated with special permission from the author by Michal Berkowitz). Warsaw: Tushiya, 1896. On the cover: "1897".

Herzl's revolutionary book, presenting for the first time his vision for establishing a Jewish state. First Hebrew edition. Printed as part of the "Sifrei-Am" series by the Tushiya publishing house, in the same year as the German edition was published. Original wrapper.

Bound together with eight revolutionary, socialist and philosophical writings in Yiddish, published around the time of "Der Iudenstaat" (some rare; a detailed list will be sent upon request). All six works are bound together in thick paper, with the stamp of the Herzliah Teachers Seminary in New York.

Der Iudenstaat: [2] leaves, iv, [1], 6-82, vi, [1] pages. 18 cm. Good-fair condition. Minor stains. Brittle leaves. Minor tears and small open tears at margins (some restored). The other booklets in the volume are of varying size and condition, good to fair. Paper binding damaged and slightly worn.

Publication of Herzl's "Der Judenstaat"

The story behind "Der Judenstaat" – commonly translated as "The Jewish State" and widely regarded as the book that served as the founding statement of the Zionist movement – can be said to have begun with the "Speech to the Rothschilds", composed by Binyamin Ze'ev (Theodor) Herzl in time for his meeting with members of the Rothschild family in 1895. This speech, 22 pages in length, laid out the preliminary outline for what would eventually become Herzl's grand landmark plan. This outline would gradually undergo a number of incarnations and versions before it sufficiently matured into a full-fledged plan, whereupon Herzl decided to turn it into a complete book. According to Herzl's own account, the book was written all at once, in two months of non-stop writing, "walking, standing, lying down, in the street, at the table, at night when I started up from sleep…". Once completed, the manuscript would, for the first time, present Herzl's grand vision in all its glory – a detailed plan for the establishment of a Jewish state, stage by stage, beginning with the gathering and organizing of the Jews of the world, up until the enactment of a legal constitution and the adoption of a national flag. Regarding his thoughts and feelings at the time of the writing, Herzl said: "I do not recollect ever having written anything in such an elevated frame of mind as that book. [Heinrich] Heine says that he heard the wings of an eagle beating over his head while writing certain verses. I do believe that something also beat its wings above my head while I was writing that book". Initially, no book publisher was willing to publish the book. Herzl found himself rejected by all his regular publishing companies, such as Duncker & Humblot, as well as the Berlin-based publisher Siegfried Cronbach, who insisted that anti-Semitism was a waning force throughout the world. In the end, Herzl turned to Max Breitenstein, a small bookseller in Vienna who agreed to print the book even though he did not share Herzl's beliefs, nor was he sympathetic to the Zionist cause. In February 1896, a small edition of "Der Judenstaat" was finally published in German with the subtitle "An Attempt at a Modern Solution to the Jewish Question". In order to ensure the work would be treated with the seriousness he felt it deserved, Herzl added his academic degree – Doctor of Laws – to the authorship of the book. Immediately upon publication, the book stirred up a maelstrom. A majority of public figures – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – viewed it as nonsensical and absurd; one particular Jewish newspaper editor even offered the use of his personal carriage to transport Herzl to an insane asylum. Among the book's initial opponents were such unlikely personalities as Hayim Nahman Bialik and Nahum Sokolow, the pioneer of Hebrew journalism who would one day become author of the first Hebrew translation of Herzl's "Altneuland". In the words of author Stefan Zweig, "never in Vienna had anyone been subjected to such ridicule as Herzl". As agreed in advance, Max Breitenstein published three additional editions (distinguished from the original edition only in minute details on the respective covers and title pages) that same year. He published no subsequent editions of "Der Judenstaat". Notwithstanding the scathing reactions of public figures and noted academics to "Der Judenstaat" the book succeeded in igniting the imaginations of a great many readers in Europe and around the world, and new editions – in Yiddish, Russian, English, and other languages – appeared not long after the publication of the original German editions. One of the earliest editions to see the light of day was the Hebrew translation by Herzl's personal secretary, Michael Berkowitz. It was published by Tushiah in 1896, the same year as the first German edition. In its introduction, Berkowitz brought attention to two "corrections" that Herzl insisted upon in oral communications with him, and wrote the following (in Hebrew): "I hereby testify to two issues that relate in particular to the Hebrew translation… In the chapter [entitled] 'Language of the Land'… after he was made aware that a Hebrew-speaking readership exists for this book… a changed spirit took hold of him, as he was ensured that the Hebrew language could surely be rejuvenated… As to the place of settlement… he [likewise] changed his mind… and addressed his attention exclusively to the Land of our Forefathers". In subsequent years, with the burgeoning of the Zionist movement and the convening of the early Zionist Congresses, the book came to be translated in yet more languages, and began to appear overseas, particularly in the United States, where Zionism quickly developed into a movement that carried weight and influence. In sum total, during Herzl's brief remaining lifetime, no fewer than 17 editions of "Der Judenstaat" were published – most in small editions numbering only a few thousand copies, and often in the form of thin, nondurable booklets. Dozens more editions were published following Theodor Herzl's passing, including translations into such languages as Ladino, Esperanto, Serbo-Croatian, and many others. It was to become one of the best-known Jewish works of all time.

References:

1. Rephael Patai (ed.), The Complete Diaries of Theodor Herzl. New York and London: Herzl Press and Thomas Yoseloff, 1960. Vol. I, p. 24.

2. Ritchie Robertson (ed.), The German-Jewish Dialogue: An Anthology of Literary Texts, 1749-1993. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. p. 150.

Approx. 120 Hebrew newspaper issues and satirical and humor booklets. Ca. first half of the 20th century.

A large, varied collection of illustrated humorous and satirical publications, mostly from the 1920s and 1930s (some earlier or later). The collection includes special issues for Purim, Passover, Shavuot and Hanukkah, monthly and weekly publications, and more, among them extremely rare items printed in Palestine in the early 20th century and items published in only a few copies.

The publications in the collection deal satirically and bitingly with various topics: the economic situation in Palestine, internal political tensions between different Zionist factions, the "War of the Languages", the Histadrut, the situation of European Jews under Hitler and Stalin, the struggle against the Arabs and the British in Palestine, and many other issues that concerned the Jewish Yishuv in Palestine and Jews worldwide.

Enclosed: Getzel Kressel, Treasury of Humor, Satire and Caricature Literature. Tel Aviv, Mazkeret Publishing, 1984.

Approx. 120 booklets and newspaper issues. Size and condition vary.

PLEASE NOTE: The description of the present lot was shortened in translation. For a partial list of the publications, please refer to the Hebrew text.

"تقرير المخابرات الدورى رقم ٤٤ إسرائيل" – Wide-ranging intelligence report, classified as "Top Secret", prepared by the Egyptian Ministry of War in the lead-up to the Yom Kippur War; includes detailed diagrams of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) strongholds along the length of the Suez Canal, deployment of IDF forces in the Sinai Desert, IDF Air Force activity, Senior IDF officers, etc. January 1973. Arabic.

The present report comprises hundreds of pages of comprehensive intelligence material, including wide-ranging information regarding the IDF and the State of Israel. This material clearly served in preparations for the Egyptian invasion of Israeli-held territory at the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. The report is divided into three main sections, separated by thick paper partitions:

• Israel’s military situation (the largest segment of the report), including a list of the hundreds of artillery positions along the length of the Suez Canal, giving the coordinates of each position; a survey of manpower deployed in various strongholds; information regarding IDF commanders and generals, along with their photos, and details of their past functions and their personal lives; information on dozens of types of weaponry, airplanes, and battle material in Israel’s possession, along with photos, specifying the weapons’ capabilities and where they were produced; anticipated flight times of IDF Air Force planes from moment of take-off till arrival at battlefront; survey of IDF maneuvers and war-readiness; a detailed survey of the ongoing military activity of IDF forces; and more.

• Israel’s political situation, including a comprehensive overview of the state of the alliance between Israel and the United States; international reaction to the effective termination of Soviet influence in Egypt; Israel’s situation at the United Nations; the massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich; and more.

• Israel’s internal situation, giving a detailed account of friction within the ranks of the ruling political party, the issue of who would succeed Prime Minister Golda Meir, various forms of internal tension plaguing Israel (sectarian tensions, problems with new immigrants, struggles between the religious and secular sectors), Israeli exploration ventures in search of oil in the Sinai Desert, and more.

The report begins with the conclusions of the Egyptian chief of military intelligence, Ibrahim Fuad Nasser, stating that there is no political solution to the central problems of the Middle East because it is impossible to bring about a change in Israel’s positions and policies, and that "one fact has now became certain: Israel will never [be convinced to] evacuate Arab lands except by force" p. [13]).

In original thick-paper cover, bearing the emblem of the Republic of Egypt.

[24], 203 pages + [33] plates (diagrams, photos of weapons, photos of IDF commanding officers). Approx. 32.5 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and creases. Tears and small open tears to edges of thick-paper file partitions. Abrasions and wear to cover and spine.