Israel's 50th Jubilee
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Issue: December 1997 Designer: Kariel Gardosh-Dosh Stamp size: 20 x 25.7mm Plate #: 330 Sheet of 50 stamps Tabs: 10 Printers: E. Lewin-Epstein Ltd. Printing Method: Offset |
n the early 50's, Kariel Gardosh-Dosh ("Dosh") designed the figure of Srulik as a symbol of the nation and the state. The boy with the Tembel hat became the hero of his cartoons. The public grew fond of the character and it was chosen to represent Israel's 10th anniversary. Srulik has accompanied all national events with prickly, amusing and often painful satire. Dosh hesitated whether to have him "grow up" over the years. In the end, he decided to let him retain his eternal youth. "Our nation, too, has not grown older," claims Dosh. "Despite all our achievements and troubles, our mentality is still that of teenagers, feeling strong and weak at the same time, with extreme bouts of enthusiasm and fits of depression, wavering between self-confidence and utter dejection -- longing for love..."
The Designer: Kariel Gardosh-Dosh
"Dosh" was born in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in 1921, and grew up in a secular home. Soon after he had completed high school, World War II broke out and he was sent into forced labor battalions. In l943 he was transferred to a copper mine in Yugoslavia and was among the few who survived the massacre at the village of Czervenke. On returning to Budapest, he learned that his parents and most of his relatives had been murdered by the Nazis.Dosh enrolled at the university and worked as a journalist. At the beginning of 1946, he left Hungary and reached France via refugee camps. In Paris, he studied comparative literature at the Sorbonne and joined the local chapter of "Lohamie Herut Israel."
In 1948 he immigrated to Israel. Not being familiar with the language, he found his place in the Hebrew press working as a political cartoonist. Since 1953 he has served as staff member of the Ma'ariv newspaper, which publishes his daily commentary, comprised of lines and symbols.
Gradually, Dosh turned to writing articles, stories, short plays and essays. He has published 13 books of sketches and articles, including False Accusations, What's Happened, A Partial Answer, and Sorry We Won (with E. Kishon).
Between 1981 and 1983, Dosh served as cultural attache at the Israeli Embassy in London. Since then he has held a variety of public positions, including membership of the board of the Broadcasting Authority. He still publishes cartoons and articles in Ma'ariv and the Jerusalem Post. Dosh has received the Herzl Award, the Nordau Award, the Jabotinsky Award, the "State Warrior" medal, and honorary citizenship of Tel Aviv.
