One building in Jerusalem encapsulates great responsibility and a significant amount of history. This building houses the four entities that were responsible for the establishment of the State of Israel: Keren Hayesod, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – the Jewish National Fund. In July 1934, the first party was held there. It was in honor of Nahum Sokolow and was Keren Hayesod’s first event. If the walls could talk, they would tell us that many state matters were conducted in this building. David Ben Gurion sat here as head of the Jewish Agency for Israel; the United Nations decision to establish the State of Israel was celebrated in its courtyard; the first Knesset discussions were held here and it was here that Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmann, was sworn in. The Keren Hayesod Head Office has been located in this building from the day it was inaugurated in 1933 until today. This building, seemingly no different from any other structure, has been a central juncture in the life of the state. It has witnessed celebrations and tragedies, and countless events that shaped an entire country and the future of all its residents.
Photo: The National Institutions Building in Jerusalem, 2019
Photo: The National Institutions Building in Jerusalem, 1937