Russian-born Isaac Asher Naiditch, a Jewish intellectual and businessman, was a long-time, staunch supporter of Zionism. He held top positions in the leading Zionist institutions and was closely familiar with the needs, problems and ideas for promoting the Zionist vision.
At the World Zionist Conference in London in July 1920, Naiditch presented a proposal to establish Keren Hayesod. “Now, when we wish to create a private safe haven for the immigrants, and a global refuge for our people, we stand and ask…is it possible that from the Jews of all the countries of the world, we will not collect the amount that we need?” To fulfil his vision, he enlisted Hillel Zlatopolsky, another Russian Zionist activist who also firmly believed that the Jewish people would respond to the challenge and that the donations of the people would finance the Zionist enterprise.
The idea of establishing Keren Hayesod, the “Foundation Fund”, was passed unanimously. Naiditch and Zlatopolsky were appointed, together with Berthold Feivel, a Czech Jewish journalist, as the directors of the fund in its early years, and they were later joined by Ze’ev Jabotinsky.
From l-r: Hillel Zlatopolsky (1868-1932); Isaac Naiditch (1863-1949)