The poster, published by the Ministry of Education and Culture in the 1950s, is a chart of Hebrew words and phrases related to public transportation. The poster comprises drawings of transportation related concepts and the relevant Hebrew words as well as common phrases that a person traveling would need to know. The words on the poster include: train, porter, suitcase, waiting room, boat, pavement, driver, taxi, and more. This poster reflects the efforts made by the Ministry of Education to integrate the new immigrants to Israel by teaching them everyday words. Similar posters were created for various aspects of life such as health, farm animals, eating out, and shopping.
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Mass Immigration to Israel in the Early Years of Israel - The early years of the State of Israel were noted for the large wave of immigration from all corners of the world; in the State’s first three and a half years, 688,000 new immigrants arrived, doubling Israel’s population. The immigrants were mostly Holocaust survivors from Europe and refugees from Arab countries. This welcome influx of Jews necessitated many resources. The immigrants needed housing and jobs. They also needed to integrate into Israeli society, and there was therefore a massive campaign to teach the immigrants Hebrew.
Transportation in Israel - The British Mandate had developed the transportation system by building roads, laying railways, and establishing public transport, and, with the establishment of the State of Israel, further efforts were made to develop the infrastructure. Today Israel’s transport system is modern and dynamic; it is based on cars and buses, with the train system reaching many places in Israel and gradually extending further. The inner-city system relies mainly on buses, cars, and taxis, but light-rail and metro systems are being developed in Jerusalem and in the Tel Aviv area.
