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Over 20 Jewish settlements were established within a few years in the 1920s at the foot of the breathtaking hills of the Jezreel Valley, under the burning sun, on agricultural land that was almost impossible to cultivate and in disease- and mosquito[1]ridden swamps amidst dozens of Arab villages. When Keren Hayesod was founded, it was clear that resources needed to be invested in strengthening agricultural settlements. Despite the inadequate water systems and difficult living conditions, the Jezreel Valley pioneers succeeded in casting roots in the area with the support of Keren Hayesod. 23 settlements were subsequently established in the Hefer Valley and in other locations throughout the Land of Israel. Between 1932 and 1939, the number of kibbutzim and moshavim increased from 37 to 134. By 1960, Keren Hayesod had helped set up some 900 settlements, proving that it is indeed possible to make the desert bloom.

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Photo: Call to the people of Israel to strengthen the rescue forces, broaden assistance to the settlement enterprise, and increase volunteer work with Keren Hayesod. 1932, Jezreel Valley

1921. There was strong opposition to the activities of Keren Hayesod in the US. The leaders of the Zionist organizations, headed by Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, wanted full control over donations within the United States and strongly objected to handing them over to Keren Hayesod. Chaim Weizmann decided to embark on a mission to the United States in an effort to change this stance. His objective was to launch the Keren Hayesod Appeal in the US. On April 2, 1921, a delegation of Keren Hayesod and other Zionist leaders headed by Weizmann arrived at the Port of New York. Thousands of cheering Jews from throughout the US awaited them. Most of them had come from afar, and walked for hours to be present for the occasion. On April 17, 1921, Weizmann published an announcement, “To the Jews of America”, proclaiming the launch of an appeal, despite the opposition of the heads of the local organizations. For three months, Weizmann and his entourage went on an unprecedented fundraising tour. He traveled tirelessly from city to city, gave speeches, explained and raised funds. He asked the American public to follow in his footsteps and called upon the Jews to support the work in Eretz Israel. He vehemently urged them not to accept the capitalist approach of Brandeis, which encouraged private initiatives. Support for Weizmann grew with each passing day. The donations increased. On June 5, 1921, a fateful conference took place in Cleveland. There, to everyone’s surprise, Keren Hayesod won a decisive victory and its proposals were accepted by a majority of more than two thirds. Keren Hayesod America began operating at full steam and succeeded in raising $600,000 within two and a half months. By the middle of 1922, this amount had reached over $3 million. Later, however, it was decided to split fundraising in the Jewish world between the American UJA, which raised funds in the United States, and Keren Hayesod, which operated in the rest of the world.

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Photo: Illustrated portrait of Chaim Weizmann, encircled by the flags of Israel, Great Britain and the United States

n 1924, the British Empire Exhibition, reviewing the achievements of the colonies, protectorates and mandates ruled by the British, was held in Wembley, England. The dozens of presenters displayed their achievements in the field of economics, culture and folklore. The Palestine-Eretz Israel pavilion aroused considerable curiosity and interest. The Keren Hayesod display was the most prominent and attracted many visitors. The Keren Hayesod exhibit included a vast wall map of the Jewish Yishuv, which showed the lands purchased by the Jewish National Fund and settled with the help of money raised by Keren Hayesod. A model of the workers moshav Nahalal became a major attraction. A booklet, translated into English, Hebrew and Yiddish, told the story of its establishment. Also on display were projects supported by Keren Hayesod: assistance to immigrants, the agricultural experimental station in Tel Aviv, Hebrew education, medical institutions and national non-profit enterprises such as the General Mortgage Bank, which lent money to build houses and neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Tiberias.

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Photo: The Palestine-Eretz Israel Pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition, 1924

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Photo: Advertisement for the Palestine Pavilion

“I have no doubt that my children, young people in general, and youngsters from the Ethiopian community in particular, see in me how ‘if you will it, it is no dream’ can become real”. Avraham Yitzhak spoke these words in a speech at the ceremony awarding him the rank of colonel. Avraham, who arrived in Israel from Ethiopia at the beginning of the 1990s, went through a long acclimation process, overcame all the difficulties and become the commander of the Medical Division in the Southern Command. But the way to the top was not easy. He was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His father was an activist who worked tirelessly, risking his life, to help the Jews of Ethiopia make aliyah to Israel. In 1983, when Avraham was just 10 years old, his father was forced to flee the country after his activities were discovered by the local authorities. He describes the years that followed as a time of true hardship and poverty. His family didn’t even have the means to make clothing; he used to fashion pants for himself out of hemp. But Avraham turned out to be a gifted student. He began studying medicine in Ethiopia when he was only 15, and a few years later decided to immigrate to Israel. He was sent to the absorption center in Kfar Saba, learned Hebrew and after significant effort, was admitted to medical school, becoming the first oleh from Ethiopia to be a doctor in Israel. But he didn’t stop there. He completed an officer’s course in the IDF with distinction. He served in a number of combat units and saved the lives of dozens of soldiers. In 2017, he was appointed colonel, the first Ethiopian oleh to achieve this rank. Avraham’s inspiring story offers new hope for young people from the Ethiopian community, who see that glass ceilings can be broken, and goals can be set and achieved. Today, thanks to the various frameworks that Keren Hayesod invests in and supports, more and more Ethiopian olim have become officers and doctors, and this trend will only grow.

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Photo: Avraham Yitzhak at the ceremony awarding him the rank of colonel, with Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gadi Eizenkot, 2017
Credit: IDF Spokesperson

At dawn one chilly December morning in 1936, at the height of the Great Arab Revolt, a small convoy of trucks carrying guards and a group of young people made its way to the Beit Shean Valley. The objective, which required courage, effort and singlemindedness was very clear: to establish a protected settlement in the heart of a hostile area, within one day, before nightfall. And it succeeded. Towards evening, Tel Amal (today Nir David) was standing, the first settlement in the Stockade and Tower operation, which changed the face of the settlement enterprise and determined the future borders of the State of Israel. The Stockade and Tower operation was an innovative method of establishing a settlement, protected by a wall and a watchtower, in just one day. The idea was to build everything essential in advance in order to enable rapid assembly on site, so that the residents could defend themselves while completing the construction. Thanks to the speed and element of surprise, Tel Amal was indeed constructed within just one day. 56 more settlements were built over a period of three years, as part of this operation, with the support of Keren Hayesod. Some of them were in dangerous border areas. The British were amazed to see how the Jewish Yishuv and the pioneers succeeded in overcoming all obstacles and doing the impossible

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Photo: Stockade, tower and tents at Hanita, 1938

The Bedouin youth village Neve Midbar (oasis) is an excellent example of Keren Hayesod’s activities on behalf of various population groups in Israeli society. “Every chapter in a person’s life is accompanied by a dream”, says Tamer Abu-Jafar, a young Bedouin graduate of and instructor at the Bedouin youth village in Nitzana, who recently received the President’s Award for Volunteering. “The dream of this chapter in my life is to improve the socio-economic situation of Bedouin society”. Tamer joined the “Desert Stars” association, which helps the Bedouins of the Negev. He then became a homeroom teacher in the Neve Midbar Bedouin youth village in Nitzana. At the age of 17, Tamer already understood that he wanted to achieve something. He decided to take responsibility for his life and to work to improve the lives of the next generation of Bedouin. The Neve Midbar youth village, the first of its kind in Israel, was established in 2015 in Nitzana in the Negev, with the support of Keren Hayesod, in order to create a new generation of change agents to promote coexistence and equality for members of all religions in Israel – whether Jewish, Christian, Druse, Muslim or Bedouin. The following year, over 100 students were already studying at the village. Demand is high, and the programs grow from year to year. Keren Hayesod has many programs, such as Net@, Youth Futures and pre-army academies, that support disadvantaged communities from different sectors of Israeli society, out of a true sense of mission and deep belief that the next generation will determine what our future looks like.

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Photo: Students at the Bedouin youth village Neve Midbar, 2018

John Henry Patterson was born into a Christian family in Ireland in 1867. He became an outstanding soldier in British Army. While serving in Kenya, he killed two lions that were known to be man-eaters and had killed a number of his men. This episode made him famous and Patterson wrote a book that was turned into no fewer than three Hollywood movies. Patterson later commanded the two Jewish legions that were established during World War I. In this capacity, he became acquainted with Ze’ev Jabotinsky, who had been active in setting up these legions, and they quickly became firm friends. Patterson was very impressed by the Jewish soldiers and became one of the most important Gentile Zionists in history. Together with Nahum Sokolow, Chaim Weizmann and Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Patterson is listed as a Keren Hayesod emissary to England in 1921. He also worked on behalf of Keren Hayesod in other places, including New York, Toronto, Brussels, The Hague and Prague. Large audiences came to hear his speeches. Support for Keren Hayesod from non-Jews is particularly moving. Keren Hayesod’s success in recruiting people from the ends of the earth and instilling in them a sense of mission regarding the Zionist vision is one of the organization’s major achievements!

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Photo: John Henry Patterson (1867 – 1947)

Youth Futures is an innovative Jewish Agency for Israel program funded by Keren Hayesod that provides life-changing intervention for thousands of the highest risk children in Israel’s periphery. The innovative method developed, which today is exported around the world, is based on appointing a “trustee” who takes all-round responsibility for the child, making sure that he/she doesn’t fall between the bureaucratic cracks. The trustee works with the children and their families, schools, welfare authorities and all the relevant agencies for three years. Sarit Schordiger of Eilat joined the program when she was 14, due to difficulties she was experiencing at home. She met Shiri Hermon, a young trustee working with children from the poorest socio-economic backgrounds, who didn’t see even a sliver of hope for a normal life in the future. But Sarit had a dream, and together with Shiri her life began to settle down. The program strengthened her desire to continue her studies, to succeed in the matriculation exams and to enlist in the army. The program invested Sarit with new life, and strengthened her hope and motivation to realize her potential. After finishing the army, Sarit began to work at an institute that specializes in life-saving medical tests. She met her future husband, married and is building a home for herself, step by step. There are today some 5,000 youngsters like Sarit, both Jewish and Arab, from disadvantaged families in 36 local authorities around the country who, together with their families, are receiving new hope and strength with the help of the Keren Hayesod donors.

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Photo: Youth Futures program. Akko, 2016

Keren Hayesod decided that alongside its investments in national projects, it needed to facilitate private initiative. Already in 1921, Keren Hayesod designated a large part of its income to set up various banks – a mortgage bank, a workers bank, an agricultural bank and more. These banks began to provide immediate assistance to found new settlements and neighborhoods and gave vital loans to establish factories. In 1921, Keren Hayesod founded Israel’s first mortgage bank, the General Mortgage Bank of Palestine Ltd., which helped in the construction of new neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberias and elsewhere. In the mid 1920s, this bank was acquired by the Anglo-Palestine Bank, one of the major banks in the Land of Israel at that time (which later changed its name to Bank Leumi LeIsrael). During the global economic crisis and the collapse of the American stock exchange in 1929, financial systems throughout the world were shaken up. Keren Hayesod agreed to underwrite part of the large deficit of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, and transferred properties and shares to the bank, saving it from bankruptcy. Keren Hayesod continued to help residents through its cooperation with and support for the banking system in the Land of Israel in the years that followed as well.

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Photo: The Anglo-Palestine Bank in Tel Aviv (1923)

What happens when rabbis from Australia, Europe, Canada, South America and the United States of America come together in a call to build the Land of Israel? Well, a great deal. On Keren Hayesod’s 10th anniversary, in 1930, 500 rabbis from around the world demonstrated their support in an unprecedented campaign, a special proclamation calling to continue Keren Hayesod’s work to build the Holy Land. What led to the proclamation was a dispute between secular Zionists and workers organizations on the one hand and religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews on the other. Despite the conflict, both sides understood the critical importance of continuing to build the Land. The proclamation stated, among other things, that “this sacred enterprise, which has begun to grow and prosper, urgently requires us to raise our voices once again and to awaken you to the obligation that lies upon all of us to continue our work and our efforts in the great mitzvah that we have begun”. The language of the proclamation, uniting so many rabbis from around the world, was a revolutionary step that succeeded in bringing together Keren Hayesod and Jews all over, regardless of their beliefs or deeds. To this day, the chief rabbis continue to support the work of Keren Hayesod. We quote here the warm words of Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, one of the most important rabbis in Israel, who was the chief rabbi of Israel and chief rabbi of the city of Tel Aviv, and also served as chairman of Yad Vashem. In 2016 Rabbi Lau congratulated Keren Hayesod, saying, among other things: “I send you my heartfelt blessings. May your achievements this year, on behalf of the community and on behalf of the individual, surpass those of last year, in your work to further the State of Israel, to advance the wellbeing of its inhabitants, to bolster its standing and to strengthen it throughout the world… Keren Hayesod has many accomplishments to its credit in the history of the renewed Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel and you continue to carry the torch of history to future generations. I wish you success in whatever you do; the Lord is with you”.

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Photo: The proclamation of 500 rabbis in 1930, calling to support the activities of Keren Hayesod