Ofir Winter

Despite the decline in their usage for the practical traditional purpose of sending mail, stamps remain instruments of public messaging and, as such, serve as windows to nations’ ideological orientations. In issuing stamps, state postal authorities carefully select images, symbols, and inscriptions to present to domestic and international audiences themes they wish to commemorate, honor, and promote. They always say something about the politics of their issuers.[1]

The process of stamp production varies from one country to another and may involve a range of governmental and non-governmental bodies, including ministries of communication, postal authorities, and civil stamp advisory committees. While stamps do not always constitute a direct expression of government rhetoric, they are subject to official regulations that are defined and influenced by politicians.[2]

Large communities of collectors still take eager interest in new stamps issued. For some nations, in particular small ones, the production of stamps remains a rewarding source of income.[3]

The global philatelic market is currently in the billions of dollars annually. According to a recent analysis by Coherent Market Insights, the stamp collecting market was projected to reach 3.75 billion dollars in 2025 and to grow to 5.68 billion dollars by 2032. Key factors driving this growth include increased global access to online stamp-collecting supplies, as well as rising interest among younger generations in cultural and historical artifacts, particularly in China and India. Yet, in other regions, the collector base continues to age.[4]

Stamps related to Judaism represent one of the most vibrant and diverse thematic fields in philately. Collectors of Judaica (understood by some in a narrow sense as artifacts relating directly to Judaism, and by others more broadly to include all Jewish-related themes) focus on biblical stories and heroes, synagogues, sites in the Holy Land, the Holocaust, and other historical and contemporary representations of Jews and Judaism. Over the years, countries with Jewish legacies – glorious and tragic, major and minor – have issued stamps featuring Judaica.[5]

According to Itzik Avital, a collector specializing in Judaica stamps, three main motivations are at play in the issuance of stamps. The first is the status of Jewish communities. Countries with large, influential Jewish populations tend to issue more Jewish-themed stamps, especially when state authorities seek to strengthen Jews’ sense of national belonging through appreciation for their contribution to the nation’s collective past and present.

Countries that desire to emphasize their pluralistic or multicultural character also tend to show greater openness toward minority representation in their stamps, including Jewish themes, regardless of the size or influence of their local Jewish communities.

A second motivation for issuing Judaica stamps is commercial. Stamps featuring Jewish traditions and history have been popular in particular among American Jews who see their purchase as an expression of attachment to Judaism and Zionism. Globally, the number of active Judaica collectors is estimated at several thousand. With potential profits high, even some small nations, for example, in the Pacific or Africa, with no Jewish history or significant contemporary Jewish communities, have issued Jewish-themed stamps.

A third, though less significant, motivation is the desire to enhance diplomatic relations with Israel, expressed through joint Jewish-themed stamp issues.[6]

The Gaza War did not markedly affect the overall scope of Judaica stamps issued in Europe and North America. Nine days after the October 7, 2023, attack, the Spanish postal service of Andorra issued a stamp (announced already in September) dedicated to celebrating the country’s Jewish community and presenting the Jewish symbols of the Menorah and Magen David.

There was no Jewish presence in the microstate until the Second World War, when neutral Andorra became a refuge for French Jews fleeing the Vichy regime. Only a handful remained in the country after the war. A second wave of immigration came in 1967, when Moroccan Jews fled to Andorra following the Israeli triumph in the Six Day War. Today, despite regulations that ban non-Catholic places of worship, Andorra hosts a Jewish cultural and religious center serving its approximately 75 Jewish residents.[7]

Unlike Andorra, Greece is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe. In April 2024, the Hellenic Post (ELTA) issued a series of commemorative stamps featuring synagogues from across the country. The six stamps depict synagogues in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Trikala, Ioannina, and Rhodes.

The stamps were unveiled at a joint event organized by ELTA and the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS). ELTA expressed its gratitude to KIS, the Jewish Museum of Greece, and the local Jewish communities for providing photographic material that contributed to this series. It also acknowledged the Cultural Affairs Office at the Embassy of Israel in Athens for assisting in transcribing texts into Hebrew. The chairperson of the Greek Postal Company, himself a Hebrew-speaking Jew and Technion graduate, possibly played a role in encouraging the issuance of the series.[8]

In October 2024, the Belgian postal service issued a stamp featuring the synagogue of Arlon, part of a five-stamp series dedicated to the city’s main squares. Arlon, the capital of the Belgian province of Luxembourg and one of the country’s oldest cities, has a Jewish community that dates to 1818. At the time, the community represented about two percent of the city’s population, but today, only around 30 to 40 Jews have remained.

The synagogue, completed in 1865 after two years of construction, was the first to be built in Belgium. Designed in a neo-Romanesque style, with two slender side towers and a high central arch above the entrance portal, the building stands prominently in the heart of the city and is considered one of its architectural landmarks. Designated as a protected heritage site in 2005, it underwent a five-year restoration and was reopened to the public in 2019.[9]

In December 2024, Germany issued a special postage stamp titled “SchUM,” commemorating the medieval Jewish communities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, which formed a powerful alliance during the Middle Ages and became a cradle for Ashkenazi Judaism.

The stamp incorporates traditional Jewish symbols alongside Hebrew inscriptions. According to a statement by the German postal service, the cities, with their Jewish community institutions inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are “testaments to the rich history of Jewish communities in Germany and Europe.”[10]

Several Jewish intellectuals have also recently received philatelic recognition. In July 2024, Austria issued a stamp commemorating Stefan Zweig (1881–1942) as part of its “Literature from Austria” series. The Austrian postal service noted that Zweig “was born in Vienna in 1881 as the son of a Jewish industrialist,” and that his literary work was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Already in 1981, an Austrian-issued stamp marked the centenary of Zweig’s birth. [11]

In April 2024, Hungary issued a commemorative stamp marking the centenary of Iván Szenes (1924–2010), a prolific Jewish writer, songwriter, and playwright credited with more than 2,000 songs, 200 plays, and dozens of television and film works, and a distant cousin of Hanna Szenes. The official statement regarding the stamp did not note that Szenes was Jewish.[12]

Also in 2024, Serbia issued a commemorative stamp as part of its “Prominent Serbs” series honoring Enriko Josif (1924–2003), a composer, pedagogue, and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Born in Belgrade to a Jewish family as Hayim Yosif, he became one of the country’s leading musical figures, celebrated for works such as Sonata Antika and Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. The official release highlighted Josif’s Jewish background, noting his Sephardic origins and that he is buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Belgrade.[13]

In September 2025, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and tireless advocate for human rights, as the 18th honoree in the Distinguished Americans series. The stamp highlights not only Wiesel’s role in Holocaust remembrance but also his broader contribution to the American ideals of justice, resilience, and compassion. “As a journalist, as an author, as an activist, and most importantly, as a teacher, Elie Wiesel chose again and again to speak for those who had no voice,” noted Ronald A. Stroman, a member of the Postal Service Board of Governors, at the dedication ceremony.[14]

Several recent stamps paid tribute to non-Jews recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. In June 2024, the Polish postal service issued a stamp in the series “Poles Saving Jews,” honoring the Kurpiel family from Leoncin that was murdered by the Germans in 1944 for sheltering Jewish families. Yad Vashem recognized the Kurpiels in 2013 as Righteous Among the Nations. The issue followed a number of other stamps issued by Poland since 2021 dedicated to Polish men and women who risked their lives in helping Jews during the Nazi occupation.[15]

In July 2024, Portugal’s postal service (CTT) issued a postal stationery (postcard with an imprinted stamp) commemorating Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat named by Yad Vashem in 1966 as Righteous Among the Nations. The issuance coincided with the inauguration of Casa do Passal – the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum. Mendes, who served as Portugal’s consul in Bordeaux during the Second World War, defied his government’s orders by issuing an estimated 30,000 visas to Jews and other refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, risking both his career and his family’s future to save lives. This philatelic tribute forms part of Portugal’s broader commemoration of his legacy.[16]

In August 2025, Germany issued a commemorative stamp in its series “Women in Resistance against National Socialism,” honoring Donata Helmrich (1900–1986). Together with her husband, Helmrich sheltered and assisted Jews during the Holocaust by securing false papers and arranging safe housing. The support network she created in Berlin helped up to 300 people. In recognition of her efforts, she was posthumously named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 1986.[17]

The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which marks the liberation of Auschwitz, inspired in 2025 a wave of philatelic activities dedicated to Holocaust remembrance.

In January 2025, the UK’s Royal Mail marked the International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a special nationwide postmark bearing the words “For a Better Future.”[18] The initiative aimed to raise public awareness of Holocaust remembrance and continued a tradition first introduced by the Royal Mail in January 2020.[19]

In February 2025, San Marino marked the 80th anniversary with a pair of stamps. The images depict displaced persons, symbolizing the suffering of thousands fleeing war, and bread, representing sustenance and the human fraternity demonstrated by San Marino’s inhabitants. San Marino provided refuge to thousands who fled the Nazis during the war, including Jews, a source of pride for the small republic that, in the words of the official postal release, “transformed a moment of crisis into a universal example of solidarity.”[20]

In April 2025, France’s La Poste issued a commemorative stamp entitled “Liberation of the Camps.” The design portrays barbed wire against an open sky, symbolizing both the weight of oppression and the hope of freedom.[21]

Also in April, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), a Catholic order with a unique sovereign status that issues its own stamps, released a commemorative stamp marking the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. It honors the victims while also reflecting the Order’s mission of “building a society based on the values of dialogue and peace.” The image depicts memorial candles lit during the official ceremony at Auschwitz on January 27, 2025, that was attended, among many other dignitaries, by the Order’s Grand Master.[22]

Since 1996, Hanukkah stamps have become a cherished tradition in the United States, used for sending holiday greetings and highlighting the Jewish community as an integral part of the nation’s social fabric. In September 2024, the US Postal Service celebrated Hanukkah with yet another new stamp. “This stamp… reminds us – as Americans – that we are joined in our diversity,” said Michael Gordon, the Postal Service’s government liaison director.

Describing the stamp, the USPS official website wrote that “the story of Hanukkah stems from a struggle for religious liberty and human rights. It is a tale centered on the Maccabees, a small army of Jewish warriors, fighting for the right of all Jews to practice their religion freely.” Around 167 B.C., “Emperor Antiochus IV engaged in a brutal campaign to force Jews to convert to Greek polytheists. The outnumbered Maccabees revolted, and against all odds, prevailed over the much bigger armies of the emperor.”[23]

In November 2024, Canada Post issued its seventh Hanukkah stamp since 2017. The postal authority explained that the stamp symbolizes “Canada’s cultural diversity” and commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The stamp features a photograph of a peacock-themed Menorah crafted in the 19th century in Poland and believed to have survived Kristallnacht in 1938.

Recovered and preserved at the Aron Museum in Westmount, Quebec, the Menorah stands as a symbol of faith and resilience. The stamp sheet further highlights this message with colorful Hanukkah candles and trilingual inscriptions in English, French, and Hebrew, quoting the traditional blessing: “These Hanukkah lights we kindle in honor of the miracles and the wonders.”[24]

Joint issues of stamps are used in philately to symbolize friendship and enhance cooperation between two nations. In April 2024, Romania and Israel issued a joint stamp dedicated to the Hora, a traditional Southeast European dance.

The Romanian postal authority highlighted that the dance, introduced in Israel by Romanian Jewish immigrants, symbolizes human reunion and a “cultural bridge” between the countries. It also noted that Israel’s national anthem, Hatikva, has Romanian roots, with Naphtali Herz Imber starting its composition in Iași in northeast Romania in 1876–1878.[25]  The Israeli postal authority, on its part, emphasized the enduring historical bond between the two countries and the role of Olim from Romania in creating that bond.[26]

In February 2025, India and Israel released joint twin stamps celebrating the festivals of Holi and Purim. Their issuance was originally scheduled for February 2024, but postponed due to the Gaza war. The delay was likely related to political considerations on the Indian side, with the eventual issuance taking place during the January-March 2025 ceasefire period.

This was not the first joint Indian-Israeli issue. In 2012, the countries released a commemorative stamp celebrating their festivals of lights, Jewish Hanukkah and Hindu Diwali.

Official X accounts reported in 2025 that the stamps were launched in New Delhi in the presence of India’s Minister of Commerce and Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry. According to Israel in India, an X account operated by the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, the joint issue reflects the growing friendship and deepening cultural ties between the nations, as both Holi and Purim “symbolize resilience, joy, and the triumph of good over evil – values that unite our nations.” Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India, noted that the launch coincided with 33 years of diplomatic relations and honored the “unique traditions and the deep bond between the nations and their peoples.”[27]

Policy Recommendations

  1. Stamps are a catchy, artistic, and age-transcending means to learn history and the difference between history and historiography. Teachers are advised to use them, including in teaching Jewish history and the history of the Holocaust. They are also encouraged to organize themed-stamp competitions as a means of creative engagement with historical events, personalities, and concepts.
  2. Despite the temptation to issue stamps commemorating the known and the celebrated, stamps can play a more meaningful educational and public role, including with regard to Jewish-related themes, in giving presence to the neglected and forgotten who deserve recognition. Establishing a digital archive of Judaica stamps would provide an important research and educational resource while preserving the visual record of Jewish life across continents.
  3. Israel and its diplomatic missions should strengthen engagement with foreign postal authorities and relevant government ministries to encourage the publication of stamp issues commemorating local Jewish history and to promote joint releases that highlight shared heritages. Such initiatives can enhance Israel’s soft-power and improve its image beyond political contexts.
  4. Jewish communities worldwide are invited to promote Judaica philatelic issues in their countries, engaging with relevant authorities to highlight their historical presence and contributions within local societies. Such efforts can foster positive representations of Jewish life and support social inclusion.
  5. Philately is a space of cultural exchanges and recognition of the humanity that is in others. Young people joining the aging tradition of collecting stamps are actually joining something much bigger. So have them join. 
  • Dr. Ofir Winter, Senior Researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University. The author thanks Itzik Avital and Yoram Lubianiker for their invaluable advice.

[1] Stanley D. Brunn, “Stamps as Messengers of Political Transition,” The Geographical Review 101, no. 1 (2011), pp. 19-36; Stanley D. Brunn, “Stamps as Iconography: Celebrating the Independence of New European and Central Asian States,” GeoJournal 52 (2000), pp. 315-323.

[2] Einat Lachover and Dalia Gavriely Nuri, “Israeli Stamps 1948-2010: Between Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism,” Israel Affairs 19, no. 2 (2013), pp. 321-337.

[3] Morgan Bourven, “Tuvalu, Nauru… Why Tiny Countries Sell So Many Commemorative Stamps,” Young Pioneer Tours, n.d., https://www.youngpioneertours.com/tuval-nauru-bhutan-why-tiny-countries-sell-limited-commemorative-stamps/.

[4] Sakshi Suryawanshi, “Stamp Collecting Market Share & Opportunities 2025-2032,” Coherent Market Insights, August 19, 2025, https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/industry-reports/stamp-collecting-market.

[5] Gary S. Goodman, “How Judaica Is Represented on Stamps of the World: Topics on Stamps,” Linn’s Stamp News, May 1, 2021, https://www.linns.com/news/world-stamps-postal-history/topic-of-judaica-represented-on-stamps-from-around-the-world-topics-on-stamps.html.

[6] Interview by the author, November 3, 2025.

[7] David Cohen Paraira, “Andorra,” Judaica Thematic Society Newsletter no. 231 (February 2025), p. 9; “Andorran Diversity, Jewish Community [Spanish],” Correos, October 16, 2023, https://www.correos.es/es/es/particulares/filatelia/productos-filatelicos/sellos/andorra/2023/jueva;  Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, “Other Provisions [Spanish],” Boletín Oficial del Estado no. 239, October 6, 2023, https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2023/10/06/pdfs/BOE-A-2023-20733.pdf.

[8] “Greece: New Greek Stamps Honor Synagogues,” Jewish Heritage Europe,  June  30, 2024, https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2024/06/30/greece-stamps/; “Synagogues of Greece (3/2024) [Greek],”  Hellenic Post, April 5, 2024, https://philotelismos.gr/en/blog/sunagoges-tis-elladas-32024/; Less Glassman, “The Golden Age of Thessaloniki Has Returned [Hebrew],” Shovel 132 (March 2025), pp. 33-34.

[9] “Squares of Arlon – Non-Priority Stamps for Belgium [Dutch],” Bpost, October 21, 2024, https://eshop.bpost.be/nl/products/pleinen-van-aarlen-non-prior-postzegels-voor-belgie; David Cohen-Paraira, “Synagogue of Arlon,”  Judaica Thematic Society Newsletter no. 235 (June 2025), p. 9.

[10] “Special Postal Value Stamp ‘SchUM‑Stätten Speyer, Worms, Mainz’ [German],” Bundesministerium der Finanzen, December 3, 2024, https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Pressemitteilungen/Briefmarken/2024/2024-12-03-sonderbriefmarke-schum-staetten.html.   

[11] “Commemorative Stamp ‘Stefan Zweig,’” Österreichische Post, July 17, 2024, https://www.post.at/en/p/z/commemorative-stamp-july-stefan-zweig.

[12] “Iván Szenes Was Born 100 Years Ago,” Magyar Posta, April 25, 2024, https://eshop.posta.hu/storefront/content/files/09_2024_EN_Szenes100.pdf.

[13] “Prominent Serbs 2024 – Commemorative Postage Stamps,” Pošta Srbije, 2024, https://efilatelija.posta.rs/en/product/velikani-srbije-2024/.

[14] “USPS Honors Elie Wiesel with a Stamp,” United States Postal Service, September 17, 2025, https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/0917-usps-honors-elie-wiesel-with-a-stamp.htm.

[15] “A New Polish Postage Stamp in the ‘Poles Saving Jews’ Series – the Kurpiel Family,” Polscy Sprawiedliwi, July 4, 2024, https://sprawiedliwi.org.pl/en/news/new-polish-postage-stamp-poles-saving-jews-series-kurpiel-family.

[16] “Postal Stamp for Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum [Portuguese],” CTT – Correios de Portugal, nd, https://appserver2.ctt.pt/femce/sku.jspx?shopCode=LOJV&itemCode=20246915199&utm_campaign=202407_b2a_fil&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=paid+social; See also Filatelia CTT, July 19, 2024, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=864358445726292&set=a.447642577397883.

[17] “Special Postage Stamp Series ‘Women in the Resistance against National Socialism’ Donata Helmrich [German],” Bundesministerium der Finanzen, August 7, 2025, https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Bilderstrecken/Sondermarken/Programm_2025/August-2025.html?docId=485008&utm.

[18] See Royal Mail Facebook page, January 24, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=638757231827890&id=100070808570890&_rdr.

[19] Jewish News Reporter, “Royal Mail Issues Holocaust Memorial Day Postmark,” Jewish News, January 20, 2020, https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/royal-mail-issues-holocaust-memorial-day-postmark/.

[20] “80th anniversary of the End of the Second World War,” Poste San Marino, February 11, 2025, https://www.dfn.sm/en/80-anniversario-della-fine-della-seconda-guerra-mondiale.html.

[21] “Stamp – Liberation of the Camps – International Letter,” La Poste, April 28, 2025, https://francestampphilatelystore.laposte.fr/shop/product/stamp-liberation-of-the-camps-1125024.  

[22] “Holocaust Remembrance Day 1945‑2025 – Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp,” Poste Magistrali, April 14, 2025, https://postemagistrali.orderofmalta.int/en/stamps/holocaust-remembrance-day-1945-2025-commemoration-of-the-80th-anniversary-of-the-liberation-of-auschwitz-concentration-camp/.

[23] “USPS Dedicates Hanukkah Stamp,” United States Postal Service, September 19, 2024, https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/nh/2024/0919-usps-dedicates-hanukkah-stamp.htm; Stamps Forever, “First Day of Issue Ceremony: Hanukkah,” September 19, 2024, https://stampsforever.com/events/first-day-of-issue-ceremony-hanukkah.

[24] “Doorstep Postings: Mess Gadol Haya X.com as Hanukkah …,” The Canadian Jewish News,  December 10, 2023, https://thecjn.ca/opinion/doorstep-posting-94/; “Hanukkah 2024 – Booklet of 6 Permanent Stamps,” Canada Post, November 14, 2024, https://store.canadapost-postescanada.ca/store-boutique/en/414273111/p/hanukkah-2024-booklet-of-6-permanent-stamps.

[25] “Joint Issue ROMANIA‑ISRAEL ’Hora, Cultural Bridge between Romania and Israel,’” Romfilatelia, April 17, 2024, https://www.romfilatelia.ro/en/joint‑issue‑romania‑israel‑hora‑cultural‑bridge‑between‑romania‑and‑israel/.

[26] “Joint Issuance: Israel–India – Colorful Festivals,” Israel Post, nd, https://services.israelpost.co.il/mall.nsf/prodsbycode/1780?OpenDocument&L=EN.

[27] Piyush Goyal, “Co‑chaired the 3rd India‑Israel CEO Forum Alongside My Counterpart @NirBarkat, Minister of Economy & Industry, Israel,” X, February 11,  2025, https://x.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1889311492408742354; Embassy of Israel in India, “Thrilled to Announce that India‑Israel Joint Postage Stamp on Holi and Purim Was Released Today, in the Presence of H.E. @PiyushGoyal,” X, February 11,  2025, https://x.com/IsraelinIndia/status/1889305725899358445;  “Israel – New Issues & Joint Stamp Issues,” Joint Stamp Issues, February 13, 2025, https://philarz.com/category/countries/israel/; “Joint Issuance: Israel–India – Colorful Festivals,” Israel Post, n.d., https://services.israelpost.co.il/mall.nsf/prodsbycode/1780?OpenDocument&L=EN.