Some two centuries after it was published, a rare miniature bible dedicated to “His Excellency G. Washington” has come to Jerusalem, where the National Library of Israel has made it freely accessible online for the first time. According to experts, less than a dozen copies of this edition remain in public hands.
The book, measuring about 51mm by 35mm (2″ x 1 3/8″), includes both the Old and New Testaments written in a paraphrased form.
Crucifixion Woodcut – Washington Bible From the National Library of Israel CollectionsSamson Woodcut – Washington Bible From the National Library of Israel Collections
“The term ‘thumb bible’ refers to abbreviated bibles like this, which were popular in early 19th century America, where they were used to educate children,” says Dr. Aviad Stollman, Head of Collections at the National Library of Israel. The paraphrased biblical text appearing in this edition was originally written by John Taylor, a well-known 16th-17th century English poet.
The book includes a number of crude early American woodcuts depicting Biblical scenes and figures. It was printed in Rutland, Vermont sometime between 1813 and 1815.
David and Goliath – Washington Bible From the National Library of Israel CollectionsWashington Bible Dedication Page From the National Library of Israel Collections
The full dedication reads: “To his Excellency G. Washington, President of the United States of America. Most hopeful George, into thy hands we give, The sum of that which makes us ever live. And tho’ the volume and the work be small, Yet it contains the sum of all in all.”
The George Washington Thumb Bible came to the National Library of Israel as part of the famed Valmadonna Trust Library, the finest private collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts in the world, which was purchased jointly by NLI and Archaeology, Books and Judaica collectors Dr. David and Jemima Jeselsohn through a private sale arranged by Sotheby’s.
The Valmadonna collection is currently being digitized and it will be showcased in the National Library of Israel’s landmark new building, designed by award-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, and currently under construction in Jerusalem.
Washington Bible Cover Page From the National Library of Israel Collections
National Library of Israel Receives Major Gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman for New Landmark Building in Jerusalem
A major gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman will establish the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center in the new National Library of Israel campus currently under construction in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem – The National Library of Israel (NLI) has announced a major gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman to establish the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center in the new NLI campus currently under construction in Jerusalem adjacent to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). The new campus is being designed by celebrated architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, and is scheduled to open in 2021.
Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Blackstone, is a renowned philanthropist with a history of supporting transformational education programs. In 2013, Schwarzman established Schwarzman Scholars, a highly selective, one-year master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing that is designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders to confront the most pressing challenges of their time. Other major gifts have included a new student center and performing arts hub at Yale University, and the transformation and renovation of the New York Public Library’s main branch.
The 3,900 sq. ft. Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center at the National Library of Israel will include a multi-purpose space with capacity of 100 people for classes, lectures, performances and more; three distinct spaces for facilitating a diverse range of activities and workshops; and state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure to connect with peers in Israel and around the world.
Innovative educational programming is a centerpiece of the renewed mission of the NLI, as it opens access to the cultural treasures of the Jewish people, Israel and its region to diverse users and audiences in Israel and around the globe. NLI educational programming generates meaningful learning experiences based on the Library’s extensive collections, which include manuscripts, printed works, images, music and more relating to Jewish, Muslim and Christian history, traditions and cultures. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center will function as the primary location for these activities, serving people of all faiths, including tens of thousands of student visitors annually, and millions more online.
The new National Library of Israel campus will feature an open and transparent building showcasing the Library’s treasures with an iconic three-level main reading hall at its center. It will house a 430 seat auditorium, permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, digitization and conservation laboratories, state-of-the-art facilities for storing and presenting rare items and more. A landscaped park with a commissioned sculpture, “Letters of Light,” by renowned Israeli artist Micha Ullman, will feature prominently.
The new National Library of Israel building has been made possible through the generosity of the Rothschild Family (Yad Hanadiv), the David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Family of New York and the Israeli Government.
“My hope is that the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center will serve as the crossroads for its new campus, bringing together future generations of students from around the world and creating a hub for cutting-edge innovation and education. Now, more than ever, our focus must be on fostering cross-cultural relationships. I’m pleased to support the NLI as it furthers this mission by sharing artifacts and resources from Jewish, Muslim and Christian history and encouraging deep cultural understanding.”
David Blumberg, Chairman, National Library of Israel:
“The new center will enable us to optimize impact for generations to come, engaging learners of all backgrounds with meaningful educational programming based around the National Library treasures. It will certainly be a highlight of our new home and we are very grateful to Mr. Schwarzman for his generosity and vision.”
Lord Rothschild:
“I couldn’t be more delighted that Steve Schwarzman has decided to establish the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Center in our new National Library of Israel building. It is a truly great project, and I am happy indeed that Steve’s name will be there. With a wide range of cultural, educational, and technological initiatives, the National Library will attract new audiences, connect Jewish communities throughout the world as well as carry out its principal function of being the pre-eminent library not only to Israel and Jewish communities worldwide but, in addition, to all faiths.”
Founded in Jerusalem in 1892, the National Library of Israel (NLI) is home to the intellectual and cultural treasures of the Jewish people, the State of Israel and its region throughout the ages. It is home to the largest collection of textual Judaica ever amassed, as well as world-class collections related to Israel, Islam and the Middle East, and the Humanities. NLI has recently embarked upon an ambitious initiative to transform itself into a cutting-edge global center at the forefront of knowledge dissemination and cultural creativity. This process is being driven by the principle of opening access to its treasures through a wide range of cultural, educational, and technological initiatives, as well as through the construction of its new home adjacent to Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem. The new home of the NLI, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is schedule to open in 2021 and will provide a world-class venue for NLI to engage new audiences, while continuing to serve as Israel’s pre-eminent library for people of all faiths.
About Stephen A. Schwarzman
Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Blackstone, Stephen A. Schwarzman founded the Schwarzman Scholars program in order to give the most talented future leaders the power to change the course of history. An active philanthropist, Mr. Schwarzman has personally donated $100 million to this effort and is leading a campaign to raise $500 million more to fully endow the program—the single largest charitable effort in China’s history coming from largely international donors. In both business and education, Mr. Schwarzman has dedicated his career to developing transformative solutions to some of the world’s great challenges. His charitable giving has included anchor support for the New York Public Library, the establishment of the Schwarzman Center at Yale University, and sponsoring educational opportunity for talented children.
About Herzog & de Meuron
Herzog & de Meuron is a partnership led by five Senior Partners – Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Christine Binswanger, Ascan Mergenthaler and Stefan Marbach. Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron established their office in Basel in 1978. The partnership has grown over the years – Christine Binswanger joined the practice as Partner in 1994, followed by Robert Hösl and Ascan Mergenthaler in 2004, Stefan Marbach in 2006, Esther Zumsteg in 2009, Andreas Fries in 2011, Vladimir Pajkic in 2012, Jason Frantzen and Wim Walschap in 2014 and Michael Fischer in 2016. An international team of about 40 Associates and 380 collaborators is working on projects across Europe, the Americas and Asia. The firm‘s main office is in Basel with additional offices in Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York City, and Hong Kong.
Herzog & de Meuron have designed a wide range of projects from the small scale of a private home to the large scale of urban design. While many of their projects are highly recognized public facilities, such as their stadiums and museums, they have also completed several distinguished private projects including apartment buildings, offices, and factories. The practice has been awarded numerous prizes including The Pritzker Architecture Prize (USA) in 2001, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal (UK) and the Praemium Imperiale (Japan), both in 2007. In 2014, Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP).
How a Kid Who Liked to Saw Rifles Became the Inventor of the Uzi
While imprisoned in a notorious British jail, this youth came up with the design of a submachine gun which would gain worldwide popularity. This is the unbelievable story of Uzi Gal.
Gotthard Glas was a child with a dangerous hobby: weapons.
When he was ten years old, young Gotthard managed to burn his hand in a freak accident. The boy grew up in Munich, Germany, in a home full of pistols, swords and other antique weapons. One day he decided to saw down an old, long rifle and transform it into a new and more compact sort of weapon – this bright idea led to the unfortunate injury.
From “Uzi Submachine Gun: Lesson Plans” which the IDF distributed to officers in 1970
When the child became a teenager, after moving to Kibbutz Yagur in the Land of Israel, his great passion for guns returned. He heard that the geography teacher in his district school owned a tiny Italian B.P. gun. He sold his stamp album, bought the weapon and began working on his dream: to turn it into a well-oiled instument of war. Unfortunately, a teacher in the school caught him at work on the gun, and his plans were foiled once again. Glas did not give up: at the age of 15 he invented a bow which shot arrows automatically – a “submachine bow and arrow”, if you will.
When Glas joined the Palmach, the underground Haganah organization’s elite fighting force, he found the perfect occupation: Weapons development. Just as in his school days, however, he was caught once again – and sentenced to 7 years in prison by the British Mandate authorities for his work with illegal weaponry. To his joy, he was pardoned after just over two years in Acre Prison. You will not be surprised to hear that Gotthard passed the time behind bars by designing a submachine gun.
In 1949, while still a cadet in an officer training course and after making an intimate acquaintance with all the weapons the IDF had to offer, the young boy, who had meanwhile become Uziel Glas (and would later be known by the name Uzi Gal) chose to write a letter to his commanders:
“To: The Commanding Officer of the Officers’ School, Lieutenant Colonel Meir Zorea.
From: Cadet Uziel Glas 120946.
Date: October 20, 1949″
The long letter contains a detailed description of his dream of the perfect submachine gun.
An IDF soldier prays at the Western Wall while carrying an Uzi. Photograph: Yaacov Elbaz. The Dan Hadani Collection at the National Library, June 11, 1969.
Five and a half years later, on April 27, 1955, the IDF held the traditional Independence Day Parade. It was at this parade that the army revealed the new submachine gun which bore the name (what else?) “Uzi”. By the way, Guthard/Uziel/Uzi Glas/Gal didn’t want the submachine gun to be named after him, but the decision was out of his hands.
“An Innovative Weapon for the IDF”. An article published in “Zemanim”, April 27, 1955
Within a few years the Uzi was not an exclusively Israeli weapon, it became a phenomenal success throughout the world.
The Uzi, Chuck Norris’ weapon of choice!
The entire State of Israel encountered this unassuming young man when he received the Chief of Staff Citation in 1955, and was then awarded the “Security Prize” by David Ben-Gurion.
Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir shooting an Uzi, December 16, 1986. Photograph: Nati Henrik, GPO
When asked about his invention he simply replied: “I did my duty in the army. Just like a cook, just like everyone else”.
From: “Uzi Submachine Gun: Lesson Plans”, which the IDF distributed to commanders in 1970.
This article makes use of information found in volume 17 of the IDF Encyclopedia of Military & Security Issues (צה”ל בחילו – אנציקלופדיה לבא וביטחון), and Eli Eshed’s article “Sixty Years of the Uzi Submachine Gun”.
When Israeli Citizens Acquired Tanks for the IDF
In 1955, amidst rumors about a weapons deal between Czechoslovakia and Egypt, the Israeli government decided to once again employ the familiar Israeli pioneering spirit and camaraderie and to make an unconventional appeal to its citizens.
As soon as the leadership of the State of Israel became aware of the gargantuan arms deal occurring between Czechoslovakia and Egypt in 1955, they rushed in search of resources that would fund new weapons.
Picture it like this: A young country (barely 7 years old), bravely fighting to establish itself on the international stage, all the while absorbing enormous waves of immigrants that more than doubled its population, and developing the desolate swaths of desert it contains.
In addition, Israel was attempting to persuade other countries to warm up relations and adopt the fledgling state as a new strategic ally.
If that doesn’t make your head spin, consider how one would feel if they heard on the radio that a colossal arms deal had been signed between and a former partner that assisted you significantly in the War of Independence. And by the way, this neighbor would occasionally voice terrifying threats about your future.
‘A national rally in the face of the enemy plot’ in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, a poster for donations to the Defense Fund
This is precisely the situation the brand new State of Israel found itself in in March 1955, when its leaders discovered the enormous arms deal Egypt had signed with Czechoslovakia. “The second round” the Arab countries had promised Israel after its victory in the War of Independence went from being a threat to a promise.
The above was the backdrop of the Israeli government’s decision to once again employ the famous Israeli pioneering spirit and camaraderie, and to make an unconventional appeal to its citizens: help us purchase new and superior equipment for the IDF.
This grassroots operation was given the name “Keren Magen” [Defense Fund]. Dozens of posters and notices were distributed throughout the county. The poet Haim Hefer wrote the appropriately titled song “Totachim Bimkom Garbaim“[Canons Instead of Socks] for the Nachal choir.
Between autumn of 1955 and spring of 1956 the Israeli public donated en masse: the Netanya Municipality collected money from its citizens for a combat airplane which was going to be named “Netanya 1”, the Haifa Municipality funded a fleet of torpedo boats from its residents’ donations and Ramat Gan decided to purchase a cargo aircraft and 100 parachutes for Battalion 890.
No, you are not looking at a hostile civilian commandeering of IDF weaponry, but a military parade in King George Street in Jerusalem in support of “Defense Fund”. Photographs from the Eddie Hirschbein Collection in the National Library
It wasn’t just cities that donated to the acquisition efforts: the professional soldiers donated towards the purchase of two airplanes out of their wages, the National Kibbutz Movement and the Shomer Hazair movement jointly purchased two combat planes. The Union of Laborers made do with purchasing one airplane. Even commercial companies joined the effort: the Discount Bank and Bank HaPoalim each purchased a tank.
Throughout the country, teachers, laborers, children, moshavim and kibbutzim, pupils and students joined the effort, and in reality the entire Jewish people donated money, equipment and sometimes even jewelry and other valuables. In the spirit of recruitment and of the times, the President’s wife, Rachel Yanait Ben Zvi called for bereaved parents of soldiers who had been killed in the War of Independence to donate their compensation payments to the “Defense Fund” in memory of their dear ones.