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The Postal and Philatelic Museum documents the role of post in the historical development of Eretz Israel. It exhibits rare stamps from different periods, valuable items and important historical documents connected to the world of post and philately in Israel and around the world.
Like many other countries, Israel appreciates its cultural heritage and the role of the postal service and stamps in its history. Stamps document events and people then engraved in the collective memory of a nation, certainly that of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
The museum was established through the joint efforts of the Postal Authority, the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv and the Tel Aviv Foundation.
The Museum will serve both as an active point of interest for young students and visitors and as a magnet for stamp collectors in Israel and around the world. It will offer a permanent exhibition employing innovative methods, a postal and philatelic library, a lecture hall and classrooms.
Visitors will be able to view 150 years of postal history in Eretz Israel, including the British Mandate period, the Minhelet Ha'am (The People's Administration), Doar lvri and the history of post and communication in the early period of the State of Israel. Achievements of the Postal Authority in recent years will be depicted along side an exhibition of the history of communication over thousands of years. A special wing-will be devoted to philately, emphasizing the designing and production processes and the collection of stamps. Another wing is to be designated for temporary exhibitions concerning post and philately.
The official opening of the Postal & Philatelic Museum has been planned for May 1998, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel and the opening of Israel 98 International Stamp Exhibition.
The souvenir sheet depicts three illustrations by Kariel Gardosh (Dosh) showing postal activities and featuring the image of "Srulik': a service counter at a post office, philately and post boxes. The lower right corner shows part of a photograph taken at the beginning of this century of a group of pioneers at a post office in Petah Tiqwa (courtesy of the Founders Memorial Museum and Archives of the history of Petah Tiqwa.) The lower left side shows a fragment of an envelope dated 1910, including a stamp from Petah Tiqwa - the first stamp printed in Israel, and a Keren Kayemet Le-lsrael (The Jewish National Fund) stamp showing Max Nordau.
