Dear friends,

But rescue is just one small piece of the compelling story that is told at the Joseph Bau House. It is the story of how, despite all odds, Joseph and Rebecca met in the Płazów Concentration Camp, fell in love, and were secretly married in the camp barracks – a remarkable scene depicted in the movie Schindler´s List. It furthers tells how, after the war, the couple reconstituted their lives in Israel, and how Joseph Bau became a pioneering artist and the father of Israel´s cartoon industry. It tells how Joseph Bau´s art helped transform the newly-founded Jewish State, infusing it with hope, humor, and optimism. And finally, it tells the story of Joseph Bau´s contribution to Israel as the chief forger of the country´s Mossad spy agency.

In this very studio that now is home to the Joseph Bau House Museum, our father created the works that made him one of most recognized illustrators, cartoonists, and humorists of the newly founded State of Israel. It is also where he forged papers such as those that enabled the famous spy Eli Cohen to penetrate the Syrian political echelon. We strongly encourage you to visit us here at 9 Berdichevsky Street in Tel Aviv to get a firsthand look at his life´s work.

Today, Joseph Bau´s artwork continues to be exhibited in museums and galleries across the world and at prestigious international venues such as the Israeli Knesset and the United Nations Headquarters in New York. At a time when so many forces in the world seek to destroy, the Joseph Bau House stands out as a place that teaches us how to create – through courage, helping others, and infusing the world with the spirit of love, laughter, and art.

Yours,

Clila and Hadasa Bau