Shana Tova Card, Herzl, 1910

​This is a Shana Tova card from 1910 with portraits of Zionist leaders enclosed within a Magen David (Star of David). There are flags on either side of the Star of David: the American flag and the flag of the Zionist movement, later to became the Israeli national flag. At the top of the card “A Happy New Year” is written in Hebrew and English. The postcard has a pink background and a light blue frame. The large portrait in the middle of the Star of David is of Theodor Herzl (1860–1904) wearing a top hat. Inside the corners of the star are smaller portraits with the names of the Zionist leaders written in Yiddish. Clockwise from top: Nathan Birnbaum (1864–1937), Max Nordau (1849–1923), Israel Zangwill (1864–1926), David Wolffsohn (1856–1914), Menachem Ussishkin (1863–1941), and Nahum Sokolow (1859–1936).

Discussion Questions

Observation

• What is the heading on the postcard?
• What are the names of the people portrayed?
• Describe the symbols and the layout of the postcard.

Reading Between the Lines

• What type of postcard is this?
• Who are the people portrayed?
  What do they have in common?
  What was their role in this organisation?
  What were their achievements?
• How are the portraits displayed graphically?
  Why do you think they are displayed in this way?
• What do the flags represent?
  Why do you think there is an American flag on the postcard?
• What message is the postcard looking to convey?
• Why do you think this image was chosen for a Shana Tova card?

Connections

• All of the Zionist leaders pictured on the postcard have had streets named after them in Israel.
  Have you ever been to any of these streets?
  Which cities are they located in?
  Which famous person would you name a street after? Why?

Creative Ideas

• Update this Shana Tova card by using pictures of current Israeli leaders or the founders of the State of Israel.
• Most of the men on the postcard have a street named after them in Tel Aviv. Map a route that would take you down as many of the streets as possible with the least amount of walking. What sites would you see on your walking tour?