High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Rudolf Goldschmid Sonneborn (June 22, 1898 – June 1, 1986) was an oil executive, businessman, and onetime President of The State of Israel Bond Drive In 1919 (aged 20) Rudolf visited Palestine from January to August, acting as the `Secretary to the Zionist Commission`. He was investigating the feasibility of creating an independent Jewish State of Israel on its territory, achieved 29 years later on May 14th, 1948. A detail account of his trip was recorded in `Letters Home`.