This poster is a notice of Lord Balfour’s death that was printed in Jerusalem in 1930, when news of his death reached Israel. The poster, entitled “Lord Balfour is no more,” was printed in Hebrew and issued by the first Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yaakov Meir.
There are a striking number of instructions contained within this announcement. In addition to the instructions regarding the memorial prayer, which is rarely said for non-Jews, the poster also decreed a general work break at the time of Lord Balfour’s funeral. The poster used larger and bold typeface to stress the most important elements of the announcement.
It is important to remember the historical context of Balfour’s death. The Yishuv was still recovering from the Arab riots of 1929, which reflected Arab hostility to Jewish national aspirations. The Yishuv was also suffering the effects of the Churchill White Paper of 1922, which limited Jewish immigration to Palestine.
The extent of the respect and gratitude felt towards Lord Balfour is therefore not surprising, and the steps taken to ensure that the residents of Jerusalem were united in their recognition of Lord Balfour’s death were unprecedented.
In a further sign of their gratitude, the Yishuv embarked on a fundraising campaign to plant a new forest in Balfour’s name.