{"id":1238,"date":"2020-10-21T02:02:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T02:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2025-08-10T15:27:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T15:27:14","slug":"maurice-ascalon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/maurice-ascalon\/","title":{"rendered":"Founder of Pal-Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mt-2\"><em>Maurice Ascalon, 1913\u20132003, Israeli designer and sculptor.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"smallcaps\">Born in eastern Hungary,<\/span> Maurice Ascalon left his ultra-religious Chasidic Jewish roots in favour of his artistic expression. At 15 years old he went to study art in Brussels and later Milan, settling in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1939, Ascalon designed and created the enormous 14-foot-tall (4.3 m) hammered repouss\u00e9 copper relief sculpture of three figures, &#8220;The Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil&#8221;, which adorned the fa\u00e7ade of the Jewish Palestine Pavilion of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/new-york-worlds-fair\/\">1939 New York World&#8217;s Fair.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-3\"><div class=\"rl-gallery-container rl-loading\" id=\"rl-gallery-container-1\" data-gallery_id=\"1432\"> <div class=\"rl-gallery rl-basicmasonry-gallery rl-hover-effect-1 rl-hover-icon-2\" id=\"rl-gallery-1\" data-gallery_no=\"1\"> <div class=\"rl-gutter-sizer\"><\/div><div class=\"rl-grid-sizer\"><\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item rl-gallery-item-width-4\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/1563680.png\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/1563680.png\" width=\"557\" height=\"419\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.74.D2_thumb_l_wide.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.74.D2_thumb_l_wide-768x578.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"578\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.74.22_thumb_l_wide.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.74.22_thumb_l_wide-768x578.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"578\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.34_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.34_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.8B_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.8B_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.06_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.06_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.72.FB_thumb_l_wide.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.72.FB_thumb_l_wide-768x578.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"578\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.93_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.93_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.D4_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.73.D4_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.94_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil\u201d for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.76.94_thumb_l_wide-rotated.jpg\" width=\"746\" height=\"992\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.72.FA_thumb_l_wide.jpg\" title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on a relief map of the 12 Tribes for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" data-rl_title=\"Maurice Ascalon working on a relief map of the 12 Tribes for the Jewish Palestine Pavilion in the 1939 World\u2019s Fair.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/00071706.80.87.72.FA_thumb_l_wide-768x578.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"578\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon, 1939 World\u2019s Fair\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/p><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Maurice Ascalon working on the \u201cThe Scholar, The Laborer, and The Toiler of the Soil,\u201d in Tel Aviv and Flushing, New York, and on a relief map of the Twelve Tribes.<span class=\"photocredit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov.il\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zoltan Kluger Collection in the Israel State Archive<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><p class=\"indentpara\">He founded an Israeli decorative arts manufacturing company, Pal-Bell, which produced bronze and brass decorative art and functional items. During Israel&#8217;s War for Independence in 1948, Maurice designed munitions for the Israeli Army and, at the request of the Israeli government, retrofitted his factory to produce munitions for the war effort. In 1956 Maurice immigrated to the United States, where he created silver objects of Jewish ceremonial art.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-3 mb-3\">\n<div class=\"rl-gallery-container rl-loading\" id=\"rl-gallery-container-2\" data-gallery_id=\"2426\"> <div class=\"rl-gallery rl-basicmasonry-gallery rl-hover-effect-1 rl-hover-icon-2\" id=\"rl-gallery-2\" data-gallery_no=\"2\"> <div class=\"rl-gutter-sizer\"><\/div><div class=\"rl-grid-sizer\"><\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item rl-gallery-item-width-4\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palbellZodiac.jpg\" title=\"A bookend with zodiac, made by Pal-Bell.\" data-rl_title=\"A bookend with zodiac, made by Pal-Bell.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palbellZodiac-768x1054.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"1054\" alt=\"Pal-Bell bookend\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palbellSnail.jpg\" title=\"A snail-like form that, when inverted, is an ashtray. Made by Pal-Bell.\" data-rl_title=\"A snail-like form that, when inverted, is an ashtray. Made by Pal-Bell.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palbellSnail-768x684.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Pal-Bell snail\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palBellEretzIsrael.jpg\" title=\"A notebook holder with map of Eretz Israel, made by Pal-Bell.\" data-rl_title=\"A notebook holder with map of Eretz Israel, made by Pal-Bell.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/palBellEretzIsrael-768x1082.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"1082\" alt=\"Pal-Bell notebook holder\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\" > <div class=\"rl-gallery-item-content\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/palbellSignet.jpg\" title=\"A signet for Pal-Bell, stamped into the back of a bronze notebook holder.\" data-rl_title=\"A signet for Pal-Bell, stamped into the back of a bronze notebook holder.\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/palbellSignet-768x601.jpg\" width=\"768\" height=\"601\" alt=\"Signet for Pal-Bell\" \/><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"indentpara mt-4 mb-4\">Maurice Ascalon&#8217;s son, David, recalls, as a child, meeting Ismar David. He reports that David and Maurice Ascalon were friends and collaborators, although the nature of the collaboration is not currently certain.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-gIGfS7GE\" data-rl_title=\"Business card of Maurice Ascalon, after he moved to the United States.\" data-rl_caption=\"Business card of Maurice Ascalon, after he moved to the United States.\" title=\"Business card of Maurice Ascalon, after he moved to the United States.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"592\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard-1024x592.jpg\" alt=\"Maurice Ascalon business card\" class=\"wp-image-4673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard-1024x592.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard-768x444.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard-1536x889.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ascalonCard.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Business card of Maurice Ascalon, after he moved to the United States.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maurice Ascalon, 1913\u20132003, Israeli designer and sculptor. Born in eastern Hungary, Maurice Ascalon left his ultra-religious Chasidic Jewish roots in favour of his artistic expression. At 15 years old he went to study art in Brussels and later Milan, settling in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1939, Ascalon designed and created the enormous 14-foot-tall (4.3 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4680,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions\/4680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ismardavidarchive.org\/indexofnames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}