Out of the Archives: The Palestine Pound (1948-1952)
by Rachel Tutera, Project Archivist, Center for Jewish History
This Palestine Pound was found within the Samuel J. Citron Papers, a collection currently being processed for the American Jewish Historical Society at the Center for Jewish History. Born in Poland in 1908, Dr. Citron immigrated to the United States at approximately 13 years old. He studied at St. John’s University and received an L.L.B. in 1931; he was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 1932. He practiced law from 1932 through 1944 out of offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Dr. Citron continued his studies in 1949 at New York University’s School of Education, where he received a B.S. (1951), an M.A. (1954) and a Ph.D. in communications in education (1963). As he transitioned from lawyer to dramatist and educator, Dr. Citron encouraged young people to incorporate Jewish culture and history into their worldviews through his plays, his founding and directing of the Jewish Theatre for Children, and through many other projects he was involved in. He left an indelible mark on education.
From 1970 through 1975, Dr. Citron recorded Voices of History: Israel, an audio series of interviews he conducted with “personalities who either recall historical moments in the development of Israel in which they personally participated or discuss aspects of Israel today about which they can speak with authority.”
It is not known where exactly this Palestine Pound came from. Dr. Citron made trips to Israel for interviews as part of the aforementioned project. He also corresponded with relatives who lived in Tel-Aviv decades beforehand. What is known is that this currency was issued from 1948 through 1952. On the front it says “One Palestine Pound” and “The Anglo-Palestine Bank Limited” in both English and Hebrew; the same message is on the back of the bill in Arabic, too. Both sides feature the names of A. Hoofien and A. Barth.
To learn more about the Shelby White & Leon Levy Archival Processing Laboratory at the Center—where the Samuel J. Citron Papers are being processed—click here.
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