This cartoon, printed in the newspaper Davar, in 1951, shows Jews carrying the Menorah, which had been depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome, back home to the State of Israel. The picture on the arch was seen as a symbol of Rome’s triumph over Israel, the destruction of the Temple, and the beginning of the age of exile. By depicting Jews who have supposedly removed the Menorah from the Arch and are returning it to Israel, the cartoon highlights the establishment of the State of Israel as the closing of the circle, namely, the end of the era of exile; the Menorah, which was exiled to Rome with the destruction of the Temple, finally returned to its people and its home.
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The Arch of Titus - The Arch of Titus has stood for almost 2,000 years as a sign that Rome destroyed the epicentre of both religious and political life for the Jewish People and started the era of exile. The most famous drawing on the arch features Jewish slaves transporting the Menorah to Rome as a symbol of the Romans’ total victory. Tradition dictated that the Jews of Rome would avoid going under the arch; on the day that the State of Israel was established, they marched under the arch. This time, however, they marched in the opposite direction, carrying Torah scrolls and Israeli flags.
Israel in 1951 – In 1951, the State of Israel was three years old. Chaim Weizmann was the president and David Ben-Gurion, the leader of the Mapai party, was prime minister after his party won the second general elections. It was a time of development: the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opened, the Egged bus company was established, and the towns of Eilat, Yeruham, and Mevasseret Zion and other moshavim and kibbutzim were established. The security situation was still serious with fighting between the IDF and the Syrian army in El Ham and Chorazim and ongoing fadayeen terrorist attacks. At this time, Israel approached the German government demanding repayment of the Jewish properties confiscated by the Nazis. This would lead to the Reparation Agreements in 1953.
Connection to the Parashat Terumah
In Parashat Terumah, the long process of building the mishkan (tabernacle) begins, and the Jewish People are invited to donate items to partake in the building of the sacred sanctuary which was to transport God’s presence with them to Israel.
One of the larger objects, whose construction is described in painstaking detail, is the Menorah. Over the years, the Menorah became a national symbol of the Jewish People, particularly as the central feature of the story of Chanukah. During the annual eight-day celebration of Chanukah we remember the successful uprising of the Maccabees during the Second Temple period, which led to a further 200 years of Jewish independence in the Land of Israel.
