On the occasion of Shavuot, the JNF archives revealed nostalgic images of bringing firstborns to major cities during the British Mandate.
In the photos, which create a journey in the time tunnel, we see celebrants in special costumes in processions and dance circles on the occasion of Shavuot in the streets of the big cities – Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Beginning in the 1920s, the KKL-JNF, through the KKL-JNF Teachers’ Movement, has created new content for Shavuot, designed to express the return to the homeland and the strengthening connection to its land.
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1951. Generators from the northern Negev celebrate Shavuot (Photo: Werner Brown, KKL-JNF Photo Archive)In the satirical photos from the JNF’s photo archive, you can see children in kindergartens bringing firstborns, a procession of weeks in horse-drawn carts and the JNF’s blue box adorning the basket of firstborns.
1959, Jerusalem. A week-long procession of kindergarten children arrives at the National Institutions House (Photo: David Hirschfeld)“The ceremonies for bringing the firstfruits were renewed in the cities and villages of the country – in Jerusalem they brought the firstfruits to the Jewish National Fund building – the land redeems the land, in Tel Aviv large stages were set up and in Haifa colorful processions and performances took place on the city streets,” said Efrat Sinai.
[1945ThepremiereofthecropWeeksatKibbutzGanShmuel(Photo:YaakovRosnerKKL-JNFPhotoArchive)According to her, the archive contains fascinating documentation of the Jewish community in Eretz Israel since the beginning of the 20th century. “In honor of Pentecost we are pleased to unveil nostalgic images of the first-year celebrations in major cities during the British Mandate,” she noted.