Historians (Part 1) Stamp

The sheet of four stamps, issued April 2002, show the first 4 portraits of a series of 7 historians. These portraits are of notable 19th and 20th century Jewish historians:

Heinrich Zvi Graetz (Germany, 1817-1891) – One of the greatest researchers into the history of the Jewish people, and major representative of “Hokhmat Yisrael,” (Jewish studies) in the 19th century, author of eleven volumes on the History of the Jews. The outstanding character of his work is the objective description of the Jewish people as a living community historically, their struggle for existence, heroism and failures in every generation.

Simon Dubnow (Russia, 1860-1941) – Political idealist, one of the founders of The Jewish Historical Society and editor of its periodical 1909-1918. Highlight of his literary work is “History of the Jews,” with particular emphasis on social and economic matters.

Benzion Dinur (Ukraine 1884 – Israel 1973) – One of the great historians in Israel, Professor of History at the Hebrew University, he formed part of the foundation members and editorship of the periodical Zion, the quarterly journal of the Historical Society of Israel. His main work consists of the 10 volume “Israel in the Diaspora,” covering the history of the Jewish people from the 7th-14th centuries.

Yitzhak Baer(Germany 1888 – Israel 1980) – One of the greatest Jewish historians of the 20th century, his main areas of research cover the Second Temple period; the Mishna; Spain and Ashkenaz. Baer’s most important contribusion is the history of the Jewish people in the Middle Ages. His book “A History of the Jews in Christian Spain” remains one of his best on the subject.

The stamps with an information sheet are enclosed in a plastic protection sheet