Rare photographs reveal early days of cinema in Israel

A rare collection of historic photographs from an archive in Jerusalem reveal images from the Tel Aviv mayoral election campaign of 1935 and Chaim Weizmann planting a tree with the British High Commissioner.

Released by KKL-JNF’s Central Zionist Archives, the pictures, which were projected using magic lanterns, were used as a tool to promote Zionist ideals.

The collection includes a series of presentations created in the 1930s, designed to illustrate Jewish efforts to establish communities in Israel to Jewish communities around the world.

The magic lantern, a projection device that displayed still images alongside lectures, provided an accessible and affordable alternative to film production, which was costly and required specialised equipment not available in many Jewish communities.

By contrast, magic lanterns were portable, affordable, and enabled KKL-JNF to efficiently spread the Zionist message across the globe.

The collection also includes photographs of Jaffa Port, Haifa Port, and the Great Synagogue in Tel Aviv during Chanukah.

The presentation was designed by Otte Wallish, a key figure in the Zionist movement, renowned for designing Israel’s first postage stamps and for his calligraphy work on the Declaration of Independence.

Wallish produced monthly portfolios containing 30–40 images documenting daily life in Israel.

Ricky Dadon, head of the KKL-JNF Archives said: “The materials discovered in the Zionist Archives offer a unique glimpse into a historical period when audiovisual media was still in its early stages. These magic lantern presentations were not just tools for advocacy—they are also a poignant historical record of the Zionist endeavor and the vision of statehood. They were successful in connecting Diaspora Jews to the Land of Israel in ways that would have been otherwise impossible at the time.”