Posters That Capture the Ideals on Which the Zionist a Century Ago

HISTORY > Photos courtesy of the WZO Photos courtesy of the © Shamir Brothers equal opportunity and the fair distribution empowerment of women and give under the heading, “Defend your homeland. of resources. That this vision has yet to be recognition to the fact that women were Enlist.” Far from promoting a belligerent realized diminishes neither its pertinence always an integral part of the Zionist posture, however, the artist chose to temper nor its power to inspire. endeavor. One, from1941, pictures an any message of militarism by filling the EXPLORILORINGNG ISRAELSRAEL’S ATTIC Only two months before he died, Herzl impressive multitude of working women, background with heartening depictions of RUMMAGING THROUGH THE CENTRAL ZIONIST ARCHIVES, I FOUND 21 bequeathed to future generations an ethical some of them carrying babies, others farming and industry. Though our reality will as riveting today as it was more than marching arm-in-arm with a banner above has always been very different from Herzl’s EXCEPTIONAL POSTERS THAT CAPTURE THE IDEALS ON WHICH THE ZIONIST a century ago. “Even after we possess our their heads announcing an upcoming vision of a Jewish state that would require MOVEMENT WAS FOUNDED. THESE BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE POSTERS TELL THE land,” he wrote, “Zionism will not cease to convention. The accompanying text reads: no army, the Zionist ethos demanded that STORY OF ISRAEL’s eaRLY DAYS AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC be an ideal, for Zionism includes not only “Taking part in the elections will strengthen building and planting be prominently the yearning for a plot of promised land the movement of women workers and the portrayed, even in the midst of battle. David Breakstone legally acquired for our weary people, but entire labor union. Women to the voting Another poster that calls upon the also the yearning for moral and spiritual booth!” populace to provide the struggling nation fulfillment.” Another poster, also from the period of with a war loan declares that it is “for the So how was it?” I asked my the World Zionist Organization, I have come hazard our lives for the cause would regret World War II, pictures a woman in uniform sake of peace” and features a graphic of niece upon picking her up to the conclusion that the most immediate having raised a finger if we were able to Women to the voting booth! and calls upon others to don “the clothes a dove with an olive branch in its mouth at the end of her Birthright danger that the international campaign to create only a new social system and not This Zionist ethic of yesteryear is what of your glory” and join the British forces hovering above a battle helmet. trip. “Really fun,” she said. I delegitimize Israel poses is its effect on our a more righteous one,” declared Theodor today’s young people need be exposed to, in resisting Nazi Germany. In 1898, when The redeeming power of working the wasn’t prepared to leave it at that, not with own young people. Casting Zionism as a Herzl more than a century ago. not as a nostalgic venture into the past, but the WZO had already granted women the land is another prevalent theme. Today, a 45-minute car ride to Jerusalem ahead of racist and colonialist movement that has The visionary of the Jewish state, as inspiration for tomorrow. It was with this right to vote and stand for office, the only when “settlement” has become a pejorative us, so I continued to probe. She pulled out spawned an apartheid society has left even who is too often mistakenly perceived as in mind that I began rummaging through other places in the world where women’s term for many people, it behooves us to her itinerary and began telling me about those children who grew up in strongly having concerned himself exclusively with Israel’s attic – more precisely, the Central suffrage was already in practice were the recall that the likes of Ber Borochov and the variety of experiences she’d just been committed Jewish homes confused in terms seeking a political and territorial solution Zionist Archives. What I found has now British colonies of New Zealand and South A. D. Gordon inspired our early pioneers through. “And how does all this leave you of their relationship to the State of Israel. to the “Jewish question,” also believed been turned into a set of 21 posters that Australia. to become engaged in just that. One poster feeling?” I asked. “Well, I do have one And precious too little is being done to help passionately in the mission of fashioning together capture something of the spirit of depicts a tractor plowing a field, much question, Uncle David,” she ventured. “I them work that through. a utopian society in the Land of Israel. early Zionism, the challenges it has had to For the sake of peace to the delight of a small child waving still don’t really get why we need a Jewish To begin with, they need to understand Zionism for him was not only about ending contend with since its very beginning, and Other posters give expression to the enthusiastically to its driver alongside state at all, especially with all the problems that Zionism always has been, and continues the abnormality of the Jewish condition of the remarkable achievements characterizing ever-present yearning for peace, despite the simple text: “Land. My land.” it causes.” to be, an idealistic, value-driven ideology. homelessness, but also about giving birth its first decades. the unremitting need to fight for our very Another calls upon youth to establish Both as an uncle and as vice chairman of “Those of us who are today prepared to to a nation characterized by social justice, Some of the posters champion the existence. One features a proud soldier hilltop communities – with none of 28 AUTUMN 2013 AUTUMN 2013 29 HISTORY > © Shamir Brothers WHAT I FOUND IN THE CENTRAL ZIONIST ARCHIVES HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A SET OF POSTERS THAT CAPTURE THE IDEALS ON WHICH ZIONISM WAS FOUNDED the controversial connotations such only about establishing, strengthening and a slogan evokes today. THE WZO IN 2013 defending the Jewish state, but also about Posters were also used to The World Zionist Organization is committed “shaping it as an exemplary society with promote the importance of Hebrew as a to promoting the Zionist idea and the a unique moral and spiritual character, critical element in our national and cultural Zionist enterprise as vital and compelling marked by mutual respect for the multi- revival. One displays a bridge connecting a elements of contemporary Jewish life. faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision Displaced Persons camp to a village in the Ideologically driven, it focuses on translating of the prophets, striving for peace and the principles articulated in The Jerusalem nascent Jewish state along with the words, Program, the official manifesto of the contributing to the betterment of the world.” “Hebrew. The bridge to Israel.” Another Zionist movement, into action. It does this These posters, then, are not intended to shows what I assume to be an immigrant through a broad range of initiatives aimed be plastered over Israel’s flaws in the hope father and his young daughter under the at encouraging aliya, promoting Israel as that if we can hide them for long enough heading, “One language, one people. For central to the Jewish experience, fostering a then they will conveniently disappear. To the bond to Jerusalem as the eternal capital of your sake and the sake of your children.” the Jewish people, engaging Jews in Israel contrary. By calling upon people to attach Both urge their audiences to “enroll in and around the world in fashioning Israel as themselves to the ideals of a bygone era, we evening Hebrew classes.” an exemplary society characterized by the are also calling upon them to contribute to Another lesson of the placards relates to pursuit of justice and peace as envisioned making of this state all that its pioneers had the responsibility of those who had already by the prophets, advancing Hebrew as wished it would become. come home to open their arms to those still fundamental to Jewish consciousness More than comprising a delightful and and Jewish peoplehood, furthering Zionist arriving. “Together for the sake of aliya and education, encouraging rural settlement as engaging historical record of years gone absorption” reads one of them, and another, an expression of Zionist fulfillment as it has by, more than providing a fascinating and in support of an aliya loan that had just been been since the earliest pioneers arrived in intimate insight into the atmosphere and announced, declares that “Our future is in Palestine, defending the national rights of spirit of their times, this vintage collection aliya – assist in its absorption.” Encouraging the Jewish people everywhere, combatting of Zionist memorabilia should also serve the ever-present scourge of anti-Semitism those abroad to return to Zion was only part and countering the campaign to delegitimize as a source of inspiration to all of us to of the Zionist ethic. It was complemented by the very idea of a Jewish state. continue working for the fulfillment of the an understanding of the need to assure the WZO policy and objectives are determined Zionist vision. Perhaps if we can get them successful integration of new immigrants by the Zionist Congress, comprised of duly hanging on the walls of every Jewish school, into the emerging society. elected representatives hailing from more camp and community center, my niece – than 30 countries and representing the full range of political parties, religious streams and the hundreds of thousands of others like Source of inspiration and international Jewish organizations her – will begin to understand Zionism as All of these elements are integral to “The defining themselves as Zionist.

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