Stamp review: Weizmann Institute of Science 70th Anniversary (2019-11-26)

Weizmann Institute of Science | מכון ויצמן למדע

The "Weizmann Institute of Science 70th Anniversary" stamp was issued by Israel Post on 26 November 2019. Face valued at ₪8.30, the stamp features an image of Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952), Israel's first president, holding out a hand from which five glowing symbols float up in a stream of light. The five symbols are an acetone molecule, symbolizing chemistry, the Greek letter Pi, symbolizing mathematics and computer science, a DNA strand, symbolizing biology, a model of the atom, symbolizing physics, and a graduation cap, symbolizing education. The stamp was designed by Ronen Goldberg, whose extensive resume with Israel Post as a stamp artist stretches back to 1994.

Chaim Weizmann's first appearance on an Israeli postage stamp came in 1952, two months after his death at age 77. He made his second appearance fifteen years later on one of two "Balfour Declaration 1917-1967" stamps, Britain's Lord Balfour being featured on the other. The Weizmann Institute, meanwhile, was first featured on an Israeli stamp in 1969 in honor of its 25th anniversary, and then again in 1977 to mark one year since its Koffler ion accelerator began operation. Weizmann played a pivotal role both in setting the Balfour Declaration in motion and in establishing the institute of science that would go on to bear his name.

1977 "The Koffler Accelerator at the Weizmann Institute"

Why issue a stamp for a university's 70th year and not its 75th? The answer relates to the significance of the number seven in Judaism and to the fact that 70 is a major multiple of seven. There is a demonstrable preference in Israel for 70 as the intermediate mark between 50 and 100 years, as opposed to the more standard 75 in the rest of the world, and Israel Post has a long tradition of issuing 70th-anniversary stamps going back to its "Bilu" stamp of 1952.

1952 "BILU 70 Years"

The "Weizmann" stamp's most striking feature is the fluorescence of the symbols and light stream -- in particular as they contrast with the grayscale image of Chaim Weizmann. At the same time that the contrast implies a clear separation of past from future, the emergence of the symbols from the palm of Weizmann's hand also suggests a causal link between the tenses. That is to say, the Weizmann Institute's spirit of scientific discovery would not be what it is today were it not for the bold and pioneering vision of its founding figure. In his avoidance of establishing what the foreground and background of the stamp are -- Weizmann's image is spatially fronted but the symbols are what stand out visually -- the artist adopts an ambiguous stance, leaving unresolved the question of which tense ought to be held in higher regard.

Bottom line: 2/5 -- Mild pass. To whom will this stamp appeal? Weizmann Institute alumni, presumably, will appreciate it as a reminder of their alma-mater, and Israeli scientists will feel it speaks to their sense of pride. But those are more or less the limits of the stamp's target audience. "Weizmann Institute" succeeds in the message it endeavors to convey, but as I am in neither of the two groups for whom that message is intended, "Weizmann Institute" goes down as a mild pass in my book. That being said, the stamp has nonetheless found its way into my collection, on account of its being distributed to guests of last month's conference of Israeli philatelists.

33rd Conference of Israeli Philatelists souvenir leaf