Rare photographs preserved in the archives of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) shed light on how Sukkot was celebrated in Israel’s early years. One 1947 image shows a young girl holding the Four Species — including an especially tall lulav — during the annual “Jerusalem Flag” celebration in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, just six months before Israel’s declaration of independence. The photo was taken by photographer Avraham Melavsky.
“This was an event held every year during Sukkot, usually in the plaza of the National Institutions building in Jerusalem,” said Efrat Sinai, head of the KKL-JNF archives. “Schools from across the country competed to see who best embodied the spirit of the JNF — planting trees, donating to the blue charity box, and corresponding with Jewish children abroad. The schools that reached the finals participated in a quiz, and the winner was honored with the ‘Jerusalem Flag,’ which they kept for a year. The ceremony continued until 2003.”
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A young girl with the four species as part of the 'Jerusalem Flag' celebration, 1947
(Photo: Avraham Malevsky, KKL-JNF Archives)
Other images in the JNF archive capture life in Jerusalem after the city’s reunification following Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. In a 1970 photograph, crowds gather at the Four Species market near the Western Wall. Late-1970s photos show Israelis examining lulavs closely at stalls throughout Jerusalem.
The archive also holds images of Four Species markets in Tel Aviv from the 1940s, where secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews mingled. “These markets attracted all parts of society, not just the religious,” Sinai explained.
“Photographs like these remind us that Sukkot has always been more than a religious holiday,” Sinai said. “It was a time of gathering, unity and continuity. The JNF photographers documented both historic and everyday moments in the Land of Israel, and our archives preserve these treasures so future generations can experience the special atmosphere that once filled the country.”