Monthly Archives: June 2015

Kroch and his Second Temple Model

Another interesting ex libris from our collection:
Hans (Meir Zvi) Kroch, a German-Jewish banker and developer (1887-1970). The Nazis sent him abroad to get his business partners to transfer his part of the business to the Reich. The entire family left for Argentina, except his wife, who was held in Germany as a hostage and died in a concentration camp. Kroch moved to Jerusalem and built the Holy Land Hotel. He commissioned the famous Second Temple Model now located in the Israel Museum. Kroch asked Michael Avi-Yonah, professor of Archaeology at the Hebrew University to create the model. However, the 1:50 ratio model was more of a political, rather than a purely archaeological mission. It was meant to be a memorial to Kroch’s son who died in the 1948 War of Independence, during which much of the Old City came under Arabic rule. As Kroch put it: “If Jews cannot get to the holy places, the holy places will come to them.”

Kroch_Hans
The deer in the centre of the ex libris refers to Kroch name, Zvi. We haven’t managed to identify the buildings on the bookplate though. Could you help us? Is any of them the Holy Land Hotel perhaps?

Hermann Kallenbach (1871 –1945)

The ex libris belonging to Hermann Kallenbach (1871 –1945) a German-Jewish architect designing hotels and departmental stores in South Africa. He became one of Mahatma Gandhi’s closest friends and supporters while both were working in South Africa. He was a devoted Zionist and was a member of the Executive Board of the South African Zionist Federation.Kallenbach_Hermann

In the Coppenhagen Collection of Dutch Jewish material we have a large collection of ex libris. Some of which will be on display from Monday in the Clarendon Institute.

New Literature Journals

We have been busy buying new books and journals for the Library. Many thanks for all of the suggestions and recommendations from our readers. IMG_2069

We have bought the back catalogue of  הליקון Helicon anthological journal of contemporary poetry and משיב הרוח Mashiv ha-ruaḥ. We will continue to receive these two journals as more issues are published.IMG_2068

We have also bought an online subscription to the Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Edited by: Geoffrey Khan
Associate editors: Shmuel Bolozky, Steven Fassberg, Gary A. Rendsburg, Aaron D. Rubin, Ora R. Schwarzwald, Tamar Zewi.

Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics

You can access the  Encyclopaedia via SOLO using your Single Sign On.

We display our latest acquisitions in the cabinet in the library foyer, and update this weekly. Remember to check regularly to see the newest additions to the Library!