Hamishah Ivrim ["Five Blind Men"]

1922. TOLSTOY, Leo (editor). Hamishah Ivrim. [Five Blind Men]. 6 leaves. Oblong folio, 222 x 283 mm., publisher's illustrated wrappers in a new cloth folding box. Frankfurt: Omanut, 1922. A fine copy of this rare Hebrew children's book illustrated with lithographs by Ya'akov Apter, Moshe Mutzelmacher, Aharon Kravtsov, and Hayyim. The story is based on the Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant, edited by Tolstoy. The Publishing House Omanut was established in 1917 in Moscow, which at that time was a flourishing center for Jewish literature, art and culture. However, it was doomed by the October Revolution, since it printed in Hebrew, and due to the repression of Jewish culture its presses were confiscated in March 1918. After moving to Odessa, it soon had to flee to Frankfurt, Germany, and there were finally able to publish the first children books in Hebrew designed originally in Moscow or Odessa between 1918-1921. OCLC lists only LC and Princeton.