Bidspirit auction | Aleph Bet, by Levin Kipnis

Aleph Bet, by Levin Kipnis and Ze’ev Raban. Berlin 1923. Emotive Dedication by ‘Bezalel’ Artist Jacob Kantrowitz. - This copy is one of the most beautiful ‘Aleph Bet’ Hebrew books ever printed. This book gives us a window to early 20th Century children’s literature. It was a result of a combined effort between two fascinating and prestigious figures in the history of Jewish-Israeli art. The Jewish community in Berlin was dedicated to printing Hebrew children’s books and studying and preserving the Hebrew language. To this end, they joined forces with renowned children’s poet and author, Levin Kipnis and famed illustrator Ze’ev Raban. Levin Kipnis, Israel’s Nobel prize laureate for children’s literature, began his writing career at the young age of thirteen. He emigrated to Israel in 1913, and furthered his art studies in the ‘Bezalel Academy.’ A dearth of material for preschool children, prompted Kipnis to compose songs geared for this age group. Generations of children grew up on his songs. Ze’ev Raban, is considered to be the forerunner of Israeli Art. He was an artist, graphic designer and industrial designer. Raban gained renown as one of the most eminent ‘Bezalel’ artists. He also served as teacher in the School of Art until 1929. Raban’s artistic journey began in his hometown of Lodz. His drawings, ornaments, book decorations, and advertisement banners were created in the Art Nouveau genre. This was the popular style common in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Raban’s symbol-filled creations are labelled as ‘Hebrew Symbolism’, and Raban is considered to be one of the founders of ‘The Bezalel Design'. The page preceding the title page includes an interesting and emotive dedication from Russian- Israeli artist, Jacob Kantrowitz. He too was a ‘Bezalel Academy’ artist, and a teacher in its carpet department. In his dedication, Kantrowitz writes emotionally to his 5-year-old nephew, Abraham Edelstein. 32 pages. 25 cm. Complete, beautiful copy in excellent condition.