Edited by Abraham Leib ben Avigdor [Shalkovitz] and Samuel Leib Gordon.

One of the very first Hebrew periodicals for children, but not to be confused with an earlier periodical of the same name published as a supplement to Ha-Tzvi in Jerusalem, 1893. Olam Katan published the work of many well-known writers, including Hemdah ben-Yehuda, Saul Tchernichowsky, and Zalman Shneour. While the illustrations appear to have been taken largely from non-Jewish books, the covers bear original artwork: by Nathan Benzion Havkin (Volumes I-II) and by G. Chorni (Volumes III-IV).

Edited by M. [Moses] Ben-Eliezer.

An early Hebrew periodical for children that published, among other things, literary works; “descriptions of people of all lands;” a column called “Man and Nature;” and information about newly-published books. Noticeably, it was the first to publish Bialik’s classic Hebrew version of Tom Thumb, Etzba’oni [nos. 19-20, p. 435]. It also published letters concerning the literary quality of works submitted by aspiring writers. Despite its high quality and gifted editor, Moses ben-Eliezer, the magazine suffered from financial problems and folded after only seven months (Ofek 1988, pp. 197-198). The exquisite covers are today a great rarity.

Edited by Jacob Fichman.

Literary journal which exercised a strong influence on Israeli youth. Cover illustration and hand lettering by Aryeh Elhanani (1898-1985), a Jewish artist from the Ukraine with strong ties to the Russian Avant-Garde, awarded the Israel Prize for Architecture in 1973. The goals of the journal are clearly stated in the first issue: “to lead young people towards the eternal truths and noble aspirations of the enlightened world in general and of the Jewish world in particular; to cultivate and encourage spiritual strength as the young person moves towards real life; to arouse and develop the finer feelings of the heart; to educate through science and to improve [aesthetic] taste through choice literature.”

Edited by Moses Ben-Eliezer.

Founded just after the February Revolution in 1917, this journal for children was the first title published by Omanut Press, which went on to produce children’s books in Odessa (above, nos. 13-18), in Frankfurt am Main (above, nos. 20 and 27), and from 1925 till 1945, in Tel-Aviv. Omanut was founded by Jewish financier and Hebrew Maecenas Hillel Zlatopolsky together with his daughter Shoshana Zlatopolsky Persitz, but the masthead of Shetilim notes that it was financed by M. Zlatopolsky, his son. The editor, Moses Ben-Eliezer, had previous worked on ha-Shahar (see above, no. 54), and his talents were well-known to Bialik, who recommended him for the job. The journal featured works by the greatest Hebrew writers and Jewish artists of the day. Bialik’s Shelomo ha-Melekh [King Solomon] was published for the first time in its pages together with illustrations by Eliezer Lissitzky – the only Hebrew text Lissitzky is known to have illustrated. Shetilim also offered stories in translation and news from the Land of Israel and other parts of the world.

Cover art by Joseph Tchaikov. Illustrations by Joseph Tchaikov and Alexander Tyshler.
Jewish Cultural Reconstruction label pasted in.

The only issue published of Shretelakh, a title which might be more literally translated as “Little Dwarves” or “Little Goblins.” The editors clearly gave a great deal of thought to aesthetics, for though the journal was printed on poor, tissue-thin paper, the quality of the typesetting is superb, as are the illustrations.  Interestingly, this issue contains yet another Yiddish version of Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (compare with no. 44, above), this time with illustrations by Tchaikov. In addition to stories by Kipling, Leib Kvitko and David Hofshteyn, there are (unillustrated) items of more social import, such as the article about the participation of children in the Paris Commune.

Edited by S. [Samuel] Niger.

Literary journal edited by Samuel Niger, an important Yiddish writer and literary critic (1883- 1955) who viewed the creation of Yiddish literature for children as “an important social and educational enterprise” (Kadar 2007, 89). The journal published works by such well-known Yiddish writers and poets as Leib Kvitko, Abraham Reisin, and Moshe Broderzon. Among the illustrations are works by Yosl Cutler, A. Godel, Netta Koslovsky, and Joseph Tchaikov.

Cover art and illustrations by Mark Epshtein.

One of the early, overtly political periodicals for children in Yiddish. The cover art and illustrations by Mark Epshtein (1899-1949) are good examples of the new Russian “Suprematism” with its emphasis on bold lines and geometric shapes. The journal features poetry and prose by such well-known Yiddish authors as Leib Kvitko, David Hofshteyn, Itzik Kipnis, and Maksim Gorki. Many of the articles are overtly political. Issue no. 1, for example, commemorates the fifth anniversary of the October Revolution, and no. 11 is devoted to the death of Lenin, his effigy replacing the usual cover picture.

First Editor: Daniel Persky. Second Editor: D. [Isaac Dov] Berkowitz.

Journal founded by Bat Sheva Grabelsky, with contributions by the same creative giants who wrote regularly for Hebrew children’s journals across the Atlantic, including Levin Kipnis, Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Saul Tchernichowsky, Jacob Fichman, Avigdor Hameiri and others. Most of the illustrations were created by Zuni Maud and Yosl Cutler (see above, no. 48); the latter also designed the journal’s masthead in its first year of publication. Apparently this is the first children’s periodical in Hebrew to include crossword puzzles (חידות שתי וערב). The editor during the second year of the journal’s publication was D. Berkowitz, noted Hebrew writer and the son-in-law of Shalom Aleichem.