Filon (Children's Magazine)

Filon was an Israeli magazine for children and, over several decades, became part of the country’s culture of reading and childhood. It brought together stories, articles, illustrations and regular features in an accessible format, at a time when printed children's magazines were a central part of family and cultural life. Its history also reflects the changing relationship between publishing, education, commerce and popular culture in Israel.

Founding and the original editorial team

Filon first appeared in 1976, published by Massada, initially as a fortnightly magazine. The founding team included editor Nira Harel, designer Amram Prat and illustrator Ora Eitan. Their collaboration gave the magazine a distinct literary and visual identity. It placed Filon within the Israeli tradition of children's periodicals that offered young readers not only entertainment, but also language, imagination and opportunities to encounter creative work.

The magazine’s logo was designed in 1975 by graphic designer Amram Porat. The attention given to the logo illustrates the importance Filon assigned from the outset to visual recognition and design, as well as to editorial content. For a young audience, the magazine’s appearance was an essential part of the invitation to read.

Interruption, relaunch and changing ownership

Publication stopped after 75 issues. Six months later, in April 1979, Filon returned with support from Discount Bank. The bank marketed the magazine as part of a children's savings program, linking reading with a broader financial and educational experience for children and their families.

With issue 76, the leading staff changed. Harel was replaced by editor Reuven Wimer, and Asher Tzizer became the designer and illustrator. New writers joined the magazine, which became more commercial in this period. After the stock-market crisis of the mid-1980s, Discount Bank ended its support, leaving Filon in financial difficulty. Nevertheless, it continued to appear until the mid-1990s under the ownership of Tz.Tz. Productions.

In December 1991, the company also acquired the competing magazine Kulanu. This development reflects the importance of the children's-magazine market and the competition for young readers’ attention. Filon ceased publication again in 1996.

The renewed edition

In December 2007, Tzivlin Publishing revived Filon. Oren Tzivlin served as publisher and responsible editor, while Ito Aviram was the working editor. The first issue of the renewed edition was printed in approximately 60,000 copies, demonstrating the continuing recognition of the title and the effort to return it to the cultural life of Israeli children.

The renewed magazine sought to preserve the spirit of the original Filon of the 1970s. It was printed in full color on wood-free paper, recalling the look of the earlier publication. Many of the original writers and illustrators returned, and especially popular sections were published again. In this way, the new edition connected older readers’ memories with a younger generation encountering Filon for the first time.

The renewed version continued for approximately three years. Although that period was relatively brief, its return showed how an established children's magazine could remain meaningful in cultural memory and be reintroduced in print even as the media environment was changing.

The fortieth-anniversary edition

In 2016, marking 40 years since the first issue, a special edition was published. It brought together selected texts and illustrations from the magazine’s years of publication. The volume preserved more than Filon’s name: it offered readers concrete examples of the writing, artwork and design that had made the magazine part of Israeli children's-media history.

Why Filon belongs in Moreshet

Filon merits a place in the archive because it documents an important chapter in Israeli childhood and in the history of children's print media. Across its successive incarnations, it gave young readers stories, writing and illustration while creating a professional platform for editors, writers, designers and artists. Its movement from Massada, through Discount Bank’s support, to its revival by Tzivlin Publishing reflects wider changes in publishing, reading habits and the balance between cultural purpose and commercial sustainability.

The 2016 anniversary edition made that history accessible to new readers by preserving selected material from the archive. For Moreshet and Moreshet.com, Filon is a valuable example of how a children's magazine can become more than a periodical: it can serve as a record of language, design, publishing and a shared Israeli experience of childhood.