On the occasion of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Day, the Israel Defense Forces archives are unveiling a rare letter written by Jewish artist Marc Chagall to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948, the day of the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
The letter reads, "On this historic day for the Jewish people - as a son and an artist from the ghetto - I send you warm regards - to you, the fighter and founder of the new Jewish republic." The letter, which was originally written in Yiddish, was presented to retired judge Elyakim Rubinstein during a private visit to the IDF archives a month ago. Rubinstein saw the letter and suggested that it be translated into Hebrew.