The Caravan, Volume 2, Edition 1

The publication of the first edition of the Revived “Caravan” magazine has not only led to the revival of the “Caravan”, but it seems that it has also led to the revival of those passions associated with the faith which seemed suppressed by the burden of the Administration.

There are no words to describe the kind of love and support we have received after the publication of the First edition of the Revived magazine. Whether it be messages of support from the Faithful or it be messages conveying the stories of their lives, we have over the past 2 months received plenty.

With over 1400 downloads and increasing we are delighted to proclaim that this endeavor has duly received the blessings of not only mortals but of the divine also. We have received multiple requests from the faithful requesting for permission to print and further distribute copies of this magazine. To them We say this - Mankind is but one family, and to spread the words of the Divine Manifestation amongst them is part of our divine duty. if by further distributing this magazine you can complete even a part of that duty then please do, by all means !!

While initially planned to be a Quarterly publication due to the overwhelming response and demands for early release of future editions we are today humbled to present the “Naw Ruz” Special edition of the Caravan Magazine.

We would hope that you will find this magazine as inspiring as the last one, and show it the same kind of love which the first edition received. And we shall try our best to lovingly work towards spreading the true values of the Divine Manifestation.

Thank you and a very Happy Naw Ruz to you.

To download the magazine, kindly visit Free Baha'is Official Website: http://freebahais.org/the-caravan-magazine/

The Caravan Magazine, Volume 1

The Caravan of East and West was established in 1929 by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler and his wife Julie.

The Caravan was a foundation that had a quarterly magazine called The Caravan in 1929. They also had a quarterly magazine called The Children’s Caravan in 1935, which ‘helps to keep children in touch with each other’. (Educational Digest). They also apparently published some other works.

Originally a part of the Bahá’í Faith, that relationship ended shortly after the New York administration was denied oversight by its founders. Sohrab refused and was ex-communicated in 1939, which then led Julie to also refuse to appear to answer questions. The foundation severed ties, but continued to do work for the Bahá’í cause, without official sanction.

“At its height, just after World War II, the Caravan had grown to a membership of almost 250,000…. and its business soon overshadowed the New History Society.”

Chapter 15 An article in the New York Times, states that in 1949 the German contingent alone had 100,000 members.

Two of the members of the Board of Directors were Syud Hossein, ambassador from India to Egypt and Minister to Trans-Jordan; and Basant Koomer a lecturer and educator.

A Foundation Fund directed by a Board of Directors with attorney Jacob Greenwald as Chairman was set up to continue the work of The Caravan, planning for the day when Sohrab and Julie were no longer around.

In 1953, the Bahá’í materials the group had collected had grown so immense that Julie hired architect, John J. McNamara to design a library within the garden space of the Caravan House. Julia Chanler stated that ….”as part of the construction [of the library] was a block of white marble that `Abdu’l-Bahá had sent to become the corner-stone of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette which Sohrab had come to possess.” This stone was not forwarded to the temple site. The actual cornerstone used in the Temple was procured and donated by a Chicago-area Bahá’í, Ester “Nettie” Tobin.

The group’s librarian was Vera Russell.

An ad for a special meeting of the corporation was placed in The New York Times November 21, 1958 naming Ronald K. Bayford as Executive Secretary. On October 29, 1961, an announcement of “Two horticultural lectures presented by the Caravan of East and West, an educational, nonprofit organization” appears in the New York Times. The Caravan of East and West still existed as late as 1967 when Peter Bloch was director.

Read the complete magazine, click here.