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| Israel Philatelic Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Israel Philatelic Society |
| Formation | 1948 |
| Type | Philatelic society |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem |
| Region served | Israel |
| Language | Hebrew, English |
| Leader title | President |
Israel Philatelic Society is a national association dedicated to the study, collection, and promotion of stamps and postal history related to Israel, Mandatory Palestine, and related territories. The Society serves collectors, researchers, and institutions by organizing exhibitions, publishing specialized literature, and collaborating with museums, archives, and postal administrations such as the Israel Postal Company and historical counterparts. It maintains ties with international bodies and societies to advance scholarship on postal issues from the Ottoman era through modern Israeli issues.
The Society traces origins to philatelic groups active during the British Mandate for Palestine and shortly after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War; founders included collectors influenced by events like the Balfour Declaration era postal changes, the transition from Ottoman to British postal systems, and the establishment of the State of Israel. Early archives record exchanges with organizations such as the Royal Philatelic Society London, American Philatelic Society, and the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie as well as correspondence with postal authorities in Ottoman Empire successor states and neighboring administrations like Egypt and Transjordan. The Society documented provisional issues and overprints connected to events such as the Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War, collecting material tied to military mail services including the Israel Defense Forces postal corps and civil postal adaptations during periods of crisis. Over time it professionalized, establishing procedures for authentication, exhibiting, and research cooperation with institutions such as the Israel Museum, the National Library of Israel, and university departments in Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University.
Governance follows a board-elected model with roles paralleling international societies like the Royal Philatelic Society London and regional federations such as the European Philatelic Federation. Leadership has collaborated with municipal cultural departments in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and with national agencies including the Ministry of Communications (Israel). Membership spans hobbyists, academic researchers, and institutional representatives from museums such as the Eretz Israel Museum and archives like the Central Zionist Archives. The Society maintains standing committees for authentication, library curation, youth outreach connected to organizations like the Israeli Scouts, and liaison with postal administrations including the Israel Postal Company and historical postal services from the Ottoman Empire and British Mandate for Palestine. It is affiliated with global bodies such as the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie and maintains reciprocal relations with groups including the American Philatelic Society, Philatelic Traders' Society, and national clubs in France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, and Argentina.
The Society publishes journals, catalogs, and monographs documenting issues like early Judaea and Samaria postal markings, Holocaust-era postal routes, and modern Israeli commemoratives. Its bulletins and journals have been cited by researchers at institutions such as the Yad Vashem, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. Publications analyze themes including airmail routes tied to the Haganah era, maritime mail through ports like Haifa and Jaffa, and postal stationery linked to organizations such as the Jewish National Fund and Histadrut. The Society also produces handbooks on forgery detection referencing cases involving forgeries connected to major philatelic controversies like those studied by the Royal Philatelic Society London. It operates a lending library with holdings from prominent dealers and auction houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, and specialist auctioneers in Geneva and Zurich.
The Society organizes national and regional exhibitions, competitive shows following standards of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie, and thematic events hosted in venues including the Jerusalem Convention Center and cultural centers in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Major events have featured invited exhibits on topics like postal history of the Yishuv, wartime field post systems linked to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and commemorative sets associated with institutions such as the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science. The Society has co-hosted international exhibitions with federations from Europe, North America, and Asia, attracting exhibits that trace routes through ports like Alexandria and cities such as Istanbul and London. It also runs auctions, stamp fairs, educational workshops for schools connected to the Ministry of Culture and Sport (Israel), and specialist seminars on topics such as censorship markings, perfins, and postal rates.
Collections emphasize issues from the Ottoman postal era, British Mandate for Palestine issues, early Israeli provisional overprints, and modern definitive and commemorative series. Research projects address postal routes through transit points like Acre, Jaffa, and Haifa; airmail links involving Imperial Airways and El Al precursors; and fiscal markings tied to municipal services in cities like Jerusalem and Safed. The Society curates reference collections including first day covers, postal stationery, military field post, prisoner-of-war mail, and censored correspondence associated with conflicts such as the Suez Crisis and the Yom Kippur War. Collaborative research has been conducted with scholars at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, historians at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and archivists at the National Library of Israel to publish catalogs, checklists, and databases used by auction houses and museums internationally.
Notable figures associated with the Society have included leading philatelists and historians who also worked with institutions like the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, and international organizations such as the Royal Philatelic Society London and the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie. Past presidents and chairs have liaised with philatelic scholars from the American Philatelic Research Library and served as jurors at exhibitions in Paris, London, and New York City. Distinguished members have produced seminal monographs used by museums, universities, and specialist dealers, and have collaborated with postal administrations including the Israel Postal Company on commemorative issues and archives access.
Category:Philatelic societies Category:Organizations based in Jerusalem Category:Philately by country