World Specialized Stamp Exhibition: Israel wins medals in Romania

It was an honor and a privilege to be appointed Israeli commissioner to the EFIRO 2024 World Specialized Stamp Exhibition in Bucharest, which was hosted in the halls of the National Library of Romania and was held from April 6 to 19.

At the opening ceremony, Ion Chirescu, president of both the Romanian Philatelic Federation and the Organizing Committee, states that “renowned philatelists from 81 countries from all continents, exhibitors, jury, commissioners, experts, journalists, and visitors have arrived in Romania, united by their passion for stamps, these paper jewels that for over 186 years have told fascinating stories and have revolutionized the way people from all parts of the world communicate.”

The exhibition was held under the patronage of the Federation Internationale de Philatelie [FIP] and auspices of the Federation of European Philatelic Associations [FEPA]. The year 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union, a prestigious international organization of which Romania was a founding member. 2024 also commemorates the 165th anniversary of the union of the Romanian Principalities of Moldova and Wallachia, which led to the Romanian state and its independence.

Nine Israeli exhibitors had worked tirelessly on their exhibits. As commissioner, I had collected their valuable exhibits and prepared the customs and insurance. Little did we know that 24 hours prior to our departure we would be running to bomb shelters when Iran attacked Israel with 300 drone and ballistic missiles. Miraculously, they were intercepted and minimal damage was caused, but this resulted in the closure of Ben-Gurion Airport. We were fortunate to depart in the early hours on Monday morning. By midday, I was already mounting the exhibits in the exhibition hall.

The first commissioner I met happened to be from Iran, with whom I have developed a close friendship for over 10 years. I was pleasantly surprised with the genuine concern from the majority of the commissioners, including from Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Our head coverings may be different, but we were united in our love and interest in philately, seeing each other as individuals and appreciating the special friendships.

Romanian flag. (credit: TIIA MONTO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Romania and Israel stamp bonds

There has always been a very close bond between the Romanian and Israeli Philatelic Federations. Romanian Jews in Israel represent about 10% of the population and have strong relations with Romanian culture. We were delighted and honored when the organizing committee appointed Yigal Nathaniel the FIP consultant and Adv. Eliyahu Weber the prestigious position of president of the jury, together with Eddie Leibu, as a member of the jury. Both of the latter have Romanian roots. It was unprecedented that three Israeli judges would be chosen to serve on the jury.

To cement our ties further, the Romanian Post together with Israel Post issued a joint stamp called HORA. The inauguration of this joint issue was held at the iconic and magnificent Choral Temple Synagogue, which was built in 1864, a surviving testament of the Jewish community of Bucharest. The event was held in the presence of the chief rabbi of Romania, the Israeli ambassador, general director of Romfilatelia, and members of the Romanian Parliament.

Weber was the keynote speaker and delivered his speech in Romanian, which delighted the packed audience. The beautiful joint issue was sold at the exhibition and was appreciated by all.

The Palmares Award Ceremony was held at the lavish Le Chateau Bucuresti Ballroom in the presence of world-renowned Romanian musician Nicolae Voiculet, who surprised the Israeli delegation with his rendition of “Hava Nagila” and “My Yiddishe Mama.” I was very pleased with the results our Israeli exhibitors obtained – Large Gold in the Philatelic Literature for Doar Ivri, the first issue of Israel, as well as Gold for Doar Ivri’ in the Traditional Philatelic section with a special prize. We received two more medals – Large Vermeil and Silver. The quality of the exhibits shown was very high. There were over 2,550 frames of stamps, letters, postcards, and documents showcasing a colorful history of the world.

The Israeli Philatelic Federation donated a special prize, A Time of Peace, which was awarded to a Large Vermeil exhibit from Romania. My wife presented a Model of Jerusalem from the Israeli Philatelic Federation as a gift to the president of the Romanian Philatelic Federation in appreciation of the very close ties between our federations and countries.

Attending a stamp exhibition is possibly the best place to learn about and appreciate cultural and religious diversity. ■