Two of the renowned "Blue Boxes" used for raising money on behalf of the Jewish National Fund. Palestine and Israel, 1940s and 1950s.
1. Collection box depicting a map of Palestine, without the southern Negev. Manufacturer's name not indicated. Palestine, [1940s?].
17X12.5X7.5 cm. Good condition. Blemishes. Bends. Stains.
2. Collection box depicting a map of Palestine, including the southern Negev. Product of A. Salzmann Ltd., Jerusalem, [late 1940s or early 1950s].
12X10X5 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Minor rusting.

Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer. Addressed to his daughter Malka and her husband Falk, mentioning an attempt to purchase land near the city of Jaffa. Thorn (Torun, Poland), 5633 [1873]. Yiddish and Hebrew.
The first page of the letter is written in Yiddish. It is addressed to Kalischer's daughter and son-in-law, and is personal in nature; the rabbi speaks of his plans for the period between Passover and Shavu'ot and the invitation he received to visit Jerusalem, and sends regards to his grandchildren. The second page is a separate note, in Hebrew, and is addressed to Falk alone: "And to you, my son… I am telling you that I received a telegram from Jerusalem the Holy City… and they informed me that they had purchased a parcel of good land very close to Jaffa… filled with springs and good for planting grain and vegetables, and they asked me whether they could obtain from me an order of payment in the sum of 2,000 Reichsthaler which must be immediately paid…"
Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795-1874), scholar and author, was an early proto-Zionist. In 1862, Kalischer published his important work "Drishat Zion" (i.e., "Seeking Zion") in which he called for the renewal of Jewish immigration and settlement in the Land of Israel. The name of the book was chosen as a rhetorical response to the biblical passage "This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after" (Jeremiah 30:17). Kalischer was one of the foremost supporters of the creation of the Jewish agricultural school Mikveh Yisrael, and after its establishment near Jaffa in 1870, he invested considerable effort into purchasing land that could potentially be used for Jewish agricultural settlement.
[1] f. folded in half (2 written pages), 22.5 cm. Good condition. Fold lines, creases, and few stains. Minor tears and minute holes along fold lines and to edges.

"Statutes of the 'Zichron Moshe' Society", a booklet issued by the "Mazkeret Hasar Moshe Montefiore" fund in Jerusalem. [Jerusalem, early 20th century].
A printed booklet (four pages) listing the statutes of the "Zichron Moshe" society, which dealt with the planning of the Zichron Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem. The statutes pertain to the manner of joining the society, purchasing land, building houses and paying the various payments. Ten statutes (12-21) deal with the modern appearance of the neighborhood, paving roads, building sidewalks and digging drainage ditches ("The Society must build its houses exactly according to the layout done by the expert engineer"; "Built fences will be set up around the estate of each and every house"; "The roads should be paved, with trees planted on both sides, and tunnels will be made for sewer", and more).
The Zichron Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem was established in 1904 by David Yellin, Yechiel Michel Pines, Yeshayahu Press and others, representatives of the "Mazkeret Moshe Montefiore" fund (a fund for commemorating the activity of Moses Montefiore which was established in 1874 in London, with the objective of establishing residential neighborhoods outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, bearing Montefiore's name). Beside Zichron Moshe, four additional neighborhoods were established in Jerusalem with the aid of the Fund – Mazkeret Moshe, Ohel Moshe, Yemin Moshe and Kiryat Moshe.
[1] f. folded in half (4 pp.), 21 cm. Good condition. Fold lines and creases. Stains. Several minute holes and small tears. Pen notation to margin of first page.
Not in OCLC.