Over the course of its history, Keren Hayesod has produced hundreds of wonderful publications, posters and postcards that have been distributed around the world, and over time have become trademarks of the organization. The posters that were disseminated among world Jewry reflected the needs of the time and the agenda of the Jewish world and the Yishuv in Eretz Israel, and were a call to action. Through these posters, Keren Hayesod gave Diaspora Jewry a kind of status report. The posters reflect the values of Keren Hayesod and the Zionist movement: building the land, the ingathering of exiles, immigrant absorption, care for the weak and the longing for peace and unity. In 2010, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport hosted an exhibition of these inspiring posters, which tell the amazing story of how the country was built. The same year, a collection of the posters was published in an album called Keren Hayesod Sows – the Hebrew People Reaps: Keren Hayesod Posters 1920 – 2010. To mark the Keren Hayesod centennial and to renew this visual tradition, a Keren Hayesod poster competition was launched among students of design. The winner was Sharon Steinberg, a new immigrant from Mexico who made aliyah in 2017. Sharon was familiar with Keren Hayesod from home, and her connection to the organization had deep roots. As a child in Mexico, she learned a lot about Keren Hayesod’s contribution to Israel, so when she heard about the competition she knew exactly what she was going to design. Sharon’s poster depicts two hands, the space between them defining the map of Israel. The two hands symbolize the citizens of Israel and Diaspora Jews, who are linked together in an eternal partnership with joint responsibility for the State of Israel.
Photo: “Faith”, a poster designed by Sharon Steinberg, winner of the KH centennial poster design competition, 2020