Shevel, the Israel Journal for Philately, reports that
a number of countries around the world have recently issued
stamps on Jewish themes.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel,
Venezuela has issued a set of 10 stamps whose subjects are
based on various chapters in Jewish history and culture. The
Mogen Dovid appearing on each stamp in this set underscores
its Jewish connection. The stamps also contain verses linked
to the topic depicted on the stamp. The verses are presented
in Spanish, the language of the country.
In Spain, a series of stamps has been dedicated to the
country's Jewish past. The series includes the cities of
Harovess, Segovia, Tudela and Toledo, where Jews lived before
the Spanish Expulsion.
The city of Harovess is represented on the stamp by a house
typical of its Jewish quarter. Segovia is represented by a
church, which once, in the distant past, served as a
synagogue. The stamp dedicated to Tudela has a picture of its
famous traveler, Binyomin of Tudela. Toledo, which once had a
large Jewish community, is represented by a building
remaining from the 12th century which formerly served as a
synagogue. This building is similar to the synagogues of
Cordova and Segovia.
In the Ukraine, the greeting, "Welcome to Oman," obviously
directed to the Breslov community, appears on its local
stamp. The greeting was printed in three languages: Hebrew,
Ukrainian and English, and in three colors: gold, silver and
red.
