David Matlow, at The Blogs

Apr 6, 2025, 10:32 AM

This Passover Who are the Wise and the Wicked Sons?

The Wise Son label drawn by Arthur Szyk (1945). From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (wwww.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

This coming Saturday night, Jewish families will usher in Passover with the first seder where we retell the story of our ancestors’ journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom. The haggadah, which sets out the order of the seder, includes a...

Mar 9, 2025, 7:09 AM

Be Prepared: Lessons from Purim and the Boy Scouts

59th Boy Scout Troop, Toronto, Canada (1968). David Matlow is third from left, and Barry Simon is first from the right. Photograph by Esther Matlow, used with permission.

The Boy Scout movement was founded in England in 1907 by Lord Baden-Powell, a British general and Boer War hero. Its purpose is to contribute to the full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development of young people and...

Feb 8, 2025, 9:54 PM

There is no blue without yellow and without orange

Protest in Jerusalem in support of the Bibas family, January 31, 2025. Photo by Leanne Matlow, used with permission.

A phrase said by a 19th century Dutch painter sums up Israel today. Vincent Van Gogh once proclaimed that "That there is no blue without yellow and without orange." That may simply have been about painting, expressing that certain colours...

Jan 12, 2025, 8:37 AM

Remembering the First Amerikanisher President’s Message to Jewish Americans

George Washington, the first Amerikanisher President. From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com).
Photograph by David Matlow.

The 60th inauguration ceremony for the president of the United States will take place on Jan. 20. Under the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1933, the inauguration takes place on that date—unless Jan. 20 is a Sunday,...

Jan 5, 2025, 4:24 PM

The Palestine Exhibition Company of 1887: From Giant Panoramas to a Bigger Peace

Share certificate for five shares of the Palestine Exhibition Company issued in 1887. From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto, Canada. Photo by Kevin Viner, Elevator Digital, Toronto used with permission.

The Palestine Exhibition Company, which was started in Illinois in 1887, created giant biblical panoramas of Jerusalem for a Christian audience. The company made three Jerusalem scenes which debuted in Chicago, Minneapolis and Buffalo, NY. These panoramas (also called cycloramas)...

Dec 29, 2024, 4:41 PM

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign: A street sign honors Canada’s Jewish Community

Street sign for Rehov Canada Jewish Community, 1970s. From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

Canadian Jewry should be proud of the support it has given to Israel during this very difficult time in its history. The outpouring of love and support is nothing new: it is something we have been doing since long before...

Dec 17, 2024, 7:47 PM

What’s a ‘non-Zionist Zionist,’ eh? 43% of Jewish Canadians claim to be one

Postcard from the Seventh Zionist Congress in 1905, signed by many Congress delegates bringing "Greetings from the Seventh Zionist Congress to our friends in Toronto." From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by Kevin Viner, Elevator Digitial, Toronto, used with permission.

Is it possible to believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state and not think of yourself as a Zionist? 43% of Jewish Canadians believe you can. This is an important and perhaps puzzling result of...

Dec 16, 2024, 11:53 PM

Metula Will Rise Again

Photograph of a trading card issued in Palestine in 1938, part of a series distributed by Dubek Cigarette Company. From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

Metula is the northernmost town in Israel, with homes literally a stone’s throw from the border with Lebanon—which is fitting, as the origin of the town’s name is al-Mutallah (Arabic for “the lookout”). It was founded as a Jewish settlement in...

Nov 30, 2024, 9:54 AM

Featured Post

Lessons of a 100–year-old postcard from an imaginary land

From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow and used with his permission.

Where in the world is West Refaim and why did it have its own stamp? Riddles from back when the Jewish imagination went postal

Nov 8, 2024, 7:03 PM

Flowering Remembrance: A Poppy and a Lily

Poppy used in Canada photographed on a page canvassing the progress of Zionism in Canada in Theodor Herzl: A Memorial, edited by Meyer Weisgal (1929). From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photo by Kevin Viner, Elevator Digital, Toronto owned by David Matlow and used with his permission.

The poppies that we wear at this time of year are our visual pledge to remember the brave Canadian soldiers who served and sacrificed to preserve and defend our democracy. Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McRae wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields”...

About Me

David Matlow practices law at Goodmans LLP in Toronto. He owns the world's largest collection of Theodor Herzl memorabilia and his Herzl Project is designed to inform people about Herzl's work to inspire them to work to complete Herzl's dream. He is the Chairman of the of the Ontario Jewish Archives and a director of the ICenter for Israel Education. More information about the Herzl Project is available at www.herzlcollection.com Over 200 items from David's collection were exhibited at the Bernard Museum at Temple Emanu-El in New York City from September 17, 2024 to January 24, 2025. David's weekly Treasure Trove column (including past columns) can be found at https://herzlcollection.com/treasure-trove.

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