This is a photo of an “Independence Day crossword puzzle” for kids from the newspaper Mishmar LeYeladim. The crossword was published on the occasion of the second Independence Day on May 4, 1949. It was designed in the shape of the Israeli flag, and its clues are based on popular knowledge of Israeli culture, covering diverse areas such as history, current affairs, military, and geography. Examples of questions include “the beginning of the second verse of the song ‘Palmach’ ” and “a type of tree planted by Herzl in 1898 around Jerusalem.” The questions reflect the fact that children in this period were both interested and knowledgeable of these topics.
Mishmar LeYeladim was a children’s supplement of the Al HaMishmar newpaper, which was the published between 1943 and1995. The newspaper was owned and allilated to the Hashomer Hatzair Zionist socialist party. The children's' newspaper Mishmar LeYeladim dealt with the contemporary life of children and youth in Israel. The articles and features reflected the socialist ideology of the newspaper, and many of its readers lived on kibbutzim and moshavim. It comprised a number of sections, including features on nature and education, and also published poems and stories by the best poets and writers of the time including translations into Hebrew of the writings of Diaspora poets and writers.
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Mishmar Layeladim – Mishmar Layeladim was a children’s newspaper published in Israel. The newspaper, that was affiliated to the adult's newspaper Al HaMishmar, was first published in 1945 by the socialist Hashomer Hatzair movement. The slogan of the newspaper was “For Zionism, socialism, and brotherhood amongst nations.” The newspaper had an educational agenda and included reports on current affairs, stories, poems, and quizzes often on Zionist topics. Many famous Israeli writers and artists – such as Devorah Omer, Yigal Mosenson, Danny Caravan, and Nurit Tsarfati – first published their work in Mishmar Layeladim.
