Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1631

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

.25 linear feet

Language:

English and Hebrew

Preferred Citation:

Jewish youth pioneer photographs, circa 1930s, Ms Coll 1631, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

circa 1930s (inclusive)

Form:

Photographs and Black-and-white photographs

Abstract:

The Jewish youth pioneer photographs consist of 108 black and white photographs from the 1930s, depicting the training of American young adults for life in Mandatory Palestine, now known as Israel. These photographs document aspects of training to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine, leisure activities, and travels to Palestine. Henry Near defines the Hehalutz organization, with the American organization depicted in this collection, as an agricultural-based "movement, which educated and recruited young people for immigration to Palestine."

Henry Near defines the Hehalutz organization, with the American organization depicted in this collection, as an agricultural-based "movement, which educated and recruited young people for immigration to Palestine" (145). The Hehalutz movement was a Labor Zionist movement that originated first in the United States in 1905 and then in Eastern Europe where it flourished in the Soviet Union and Poland. There were two stages of work for the members of the Hehalutz to fulfill in order to show their preparedness to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine. The first stage of learning included taking classes in Hebrew in order to familiarize themselves with the language. During this stage, the organization required members to gain basic knowledge and history of Palestine and Zionism. Once members passed this stage, the focus turned to the agricultural goal of the movement. According to the 1933 Convention of American Hehalutz, members had to prepare for agricultural work by working on a farm operated by Hehalutz, working on a private collective farm, or in lumber camps, quarries or other communal work settings (Altman and Bogrei Hehalutz America 41). Agricultural farms led by Hehalutz, such as the Cream Ridge farm depicted in the collection, consisted of "…a hothouse in which to grow plants from seed for our vegetable garden; an orchard; a vineyard; a berry patch; a carpentry shed; a metal shop…" (Altman and Bogrei Hehalutz America 91). At the farm, trainings in Labor Zionism and Hebrew continued as a member described at the Cream Ridge farm, in New Jersey, "We decided then that the prime factors to consider were: the ability to train many people in a short period of time; the necessity of giving everyone a thorough knowledge of farming and the urgency of educating the group in Zionism, socialism and collectivism" (Altman and Bogrei Hehalutz America 91). Around the time that this collection's photographs were taken, there were 350 members in the Hehalutz organization, 150 women and 200 men (Altman and Bogrei Hehalutz 51).

Works consulted:

Altman, Sima. and Bogrei Hehalutz America. Pioneers from America : 75 years of Hehalutz, 1905-1980. Tel Aviv : Bogrei Hehalutz American, 1981.

Near, Henry. "Frontiersmen and Halutzim: The Image of the Pioneer in Palestine/Israel and the US." Where Community Happens: The Kibbutz and the Philosophy of Communalism, Peter Lang AG, 2011, pp. 141–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2t4f0h.14. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

The Jewish youth pioneer photographs consist of 108 black and white photographs from the 1930s, depicting the training of American young adults for life in Mandatory Palestine, now known as Israel. Six of the photographs in this collection are smaller in size, ranging from an inch to two inches in length and width. Twenty-eight of these photographs include captions, which mainly list the people depicted. One of the photographs is captioned with reference to a Hechalutz farm in Cream Ridge, New Jersey. These photographs document aspects of training to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine including: farming with cows and goats, building a campsite, and inspecting fruits. There are photographs of leisure activities such as playing sports, relaxing at the beach, and lounging about reading. Many of these photographs capture what the seller describes as "photographs on the deck of a ship, from the departure of several members of the 'HeChalutz' training who immigrated to Palestine in 1939," with one photo including a flag with the Palestine maritime ensign. Most of these photographs are candid, including group photographs as well as portraits.

Works consulted:

"Collection of Photographs – Training of Pioneers in the USA and Immigration to Palestine – 1930s and 1940s." Kedem Auction House Ltd., https://www.kedem-auctions.com/en/collection-photographs-%E2%80%93-training-pioneers-usa-and-immigration-palestine-%E2%80%93-1930s-and-1940s. Accessed 31 January 2025.