Jewish Builders
At first glance, readers may be reminded of Lewis Hine’s famous series of photographs of construction workers erecting the Empire State Building in New York. The development of the Yishuv entailed numerous substantial infrastructure projects, creating an enormous demand for construction workers. In addition, Zionists were keen to emphasize that, contrary to myth, Jews were no less capable of strenuous physical labour than anyone else.—Ya’akov (Jacob) Benor-Kalter (1897–1969) was a prominent member of the pioneering generation of photographers in the Yishuv who predominantly came from the Austrian part of Galicia that became part of Poland after the First World War. In 1927, he designed a series of postage stamps for Palestine. His photography became more experimental in the 1930s, and he subsequently worked primarily as an architectural designer.
Samuel Adler apparently came to Palestine from Germany in 1933 and began to produce postcards, mainly with motifs by Benor- Kalter, the following year.
Published by Hadar Hacarmel, Palestine. Printed in Austria. Photo: J. Benor-Kalter. S. Adler, Haifa.
Postcard from the book: Jews in Old Postcards and Prints