Lot #76
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Israel - Set of Israeli Presidents, Jubilee to the State 1998 -
Israel – Set of Israeli Presidents, Jubilee to the State 1998 –
925 silver, 26 g 37 mm.
Weight of all medals: 104 grams.
1. Zalman Shazar.
2. Haim Herzog.
3. Haim Weizmann.
4. Yitzhak Ben Zvi.
ZALMAN SHAZAR
STATE MEDAL, 1998/5758
Fourth Medal in the ""Presidents of Israel"" Series, issued in honor of Israel’s 50th Anniversary Year
Shneur Zalman (Rubasov) Shazar was born in the Belorussian town of Minsk in 1889. His parents, followers of the Chabad Hassidic Movement, gave him a traditional and Zionistic education. When he was young, he was a member of the ""Po’alei Zion"" Movement and together with Ber Borochov, edited the Movement’s publications, until they were arrested for such activities. IN 1912, Shazar began studying history and philosophy in Germany, where he supported himself by editing and writing articles for the Yiddish Press in Russia and the United States. He was one of the founders of the Labor Zionist and ""Hehalutz"" Movement. In 1920, Shazar married Rachel Katznelson. He participated in the 12th Zionist Congress and was elected to the Po’alei Zion Board. Zalman Shazar made Aliya in 1924 and became a member of the secretariat of the Histadrut and of the editorial staff of its paper, Davar. Due to his rhetorical skills, he successfully carried out a number of missions abroad. In 1947, he was appointed to the delegation of the United Nations, when it recognized the founding of the State of Israel. At the same time, he built a relationship with the Lubavitcher Rabbi Scheerson and helped in the establishment of Kfar Chabad. In 1949, Shazar was elected to the first Knesset and in 1951, he was appointed as Minister of Education and Culture. In this capacity, he was responsible for the Compulsory Education Law. In the following years, he fulfilled a number of executive positions in the Jewish Agency. Zalman Shazar was elected as third President of Israel in 1963 and served for 10 years in this office. During his term, he turned the President’s Residence into an intellectual center of the Jewish World. Zalman Shazar was known for his literary talents; he wrote and translated poetry, prose and articles in a wide number of subjects. His writing style displayed the combination of lyricism with Biblical influence, integrated with practical and contemporary issues. He was well known in the areas of Jewish historiography, philology and Biblical criticism. Shazar’s wide scope of literary and cultural pursuits added much depth to his missions and role as President. Zalman Shazar passed away in 1974.
Obverse: Image of Zalman Shazar, Israel State Emblem to the right, inscription “ZALMAN SHAZAR” in Hebrew and English along the upper border and the words ‘ISRAEL’S THIRD PRESIDENT 1949-1952” in Hebrew and English along the lower border.
CHAIM HERZOG
STATE MEDAL, 1998/5758
Third Medal in the ""Four Israel Presidents"" Series, issued in Israel’s 50th Anniversary Year.
Chaim Herzog, born in 1918 in Ireland, was the son of Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, who was to become Chief Rabbi of Israel, and his wife Sarah. He immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1935, studied in a Yeshiva in Jerusalem and volunteered to serve in the Jewish paramilitary group “Haganah”. During World War II he served in the British army and after the war filled a number of executive positions in the Jewish Agency. He fought in Israel’s War of Independence and was fundamental in the establishment of the Israeli Intelligence Corps. Herzog subsequently became head of the IDF Military Intelligence Branch and left the army with the rank of Major General. After the Six Day War in 1967 he was appointed to serve as Military Governor of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. In 1975 Herzog was appointed Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations and is particularly remembered for his speech, during which he tore up the UN resolution “Zionism is Racism”. He was elected Israel’s sixth president in 1983 and was actively involved in a variety of issues during his two five-year terms. Herzog’s active life was filled with unwavering faith in Zionism and Jewish Heritage.
Obverse: The image of Chaim Herzog and the State Emblem to the right; the inscription “CHAIM HERZOG” in Hebrew and English along the upper border and the words ‘ISRAEL’S SIXTH PRESIDENT 1983-1993” in Hebrew and English along the lower border.
Reverse: The scroll of the Declaration of Independence and the Presidential Flag; the inscription “Israel” 50” and the words “Israel’s 50th Anniversary” in Hebrew along the lower border.
CHAIM WEIZMANN
STATE MEDAL, 1997/5757
First Medal in the ""Presidents of Israel"" Series, issued in honor of Israel’s 50th Anniversary Year
Chaim Weizmann, first President of Israel, born in 1874 in the village of Motol in Russia, grew up in an atmosphere steeped in Jewish tradition and longing to ""Return to Zion"". He studied Bible, Hebrew and biochemistry in Berlin, where he was exposed to Theodor Herzl’s charisma for Zionism. He soon became one of the outstanding leaders of the Zionist Movement. He affiliated himself with ""Synthetic Zionism"" which focused on political activity, settlement and development in the Land of Israel. He moved to England, where he continued with his scientific career and Zionist activities. During World War I, Weizmann helped the British war effort, developing a new method for manufacture of acetone, an important solvent in ammunitions. Thereby, he gained access to high officials in the British Government and these connections helped to lead to his attainment of the ""Balfour Declaration"", one of his greatest accomplishments. The ""Balfour Declaration"" turned the call for a Zionist State from a dream to a legitimate political agenda. In 1920, Weizmann was elected the President of the Zionist Organization. He was integral in the establishment of the Hebrew University and the ""Weizmann Institute of Science"". In 1949, Weizmann was chosen by the Knesset to be the first President of Israel.
Obverse: Image of Chaim Weizmann, Israel State Emblem to the right, inscription “CHAIM WEIZMANN” in Hebrew and English along the upper border and the words ‘ISRAEL’S FIRST PRESIDENT 1949-1952” in Hebrew and English along the lower border.
IZHAK BEN-ZVI
STATE MEDAL, 1997/5758
Second Medal in the ""Presidents of Israel"" Series, issued in honor of Israel’s 50th Anniversary Year
Izhak Ben-Zvi was born in 1884, in Poltava, Ukraine. He was the oldest son in a Zionist family and received a traditional Jewish and modern education. At the time of the 1905 Pogrom, he was active in the Jewish Self Defense Organization. Afterwards, when a store of weapons was found in his parents’ home, members of his family were arrested and his father was exiled to Siberia. Izhak Ben-Zvi fled to Vilna, where he continued to work with the ""Zionist Social Democrats"" that was in its founding stages. In 1907, Ben-Zvi immigrated to the Land of Israel and represented the ""Zionist Social Democrats"" at the Eighth Zionist Congress. He was integral in the establishment of Hashomer Organization and founded the first Jewish-Socialist periodical in the Land of Israel. Along with David Ben-Gurion, he was arrested and deported. In the United States, they established the ""Hehalutz"" (""Pioneer"") Movement, which prepared young people for the Land of Israel. Ben-Zvi and Ben-Gurion were among the first to volunteer for service in the Jewish Legion of the British Army in 1918, and thus returned to the Land of Israel. During the riots of 1920 in Jerusalem, Ben-Zvi served in the Haganah. He was elected to the ""People’s Council"" as Chairman, in 1931, and as President in 1945. After the establishment of the State of Israel, he was elected as a member of Knesset in 1949 and 1951. In 1952, Ben-Zvi was elected to be the second President of the State of Israeland served in this appointment until the day of his death in 1963.
Obverse: Image of Izhak Ben-Zvi, Israel State Emblem to the right, inscription “IZHAK BEN-ZVI” in Hebrew and English along the upper border and the words ‘ISRAEL’S SECOND PRESIDENT 1952-1963” in Hebrew and English along the lower border.
Reverse (common to the entire series of presidential medals and commemorating Israel’s 50th anniversary): The Declaration of Independence Scroll and Presidential Flag, inscription “Israel 50” and words “Israel’s 50th Anniversary” in Hebrew along the lower border.
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