The Shekel Certificate 1. One who purchases the Shekel thereby declares his belonging to the World Zionist Organization. 2. Each purchaser of the Shekel is entitled to participate in the election of delegates to the Zionist Congress, to vote and to be elected. 3. The Congress is the supreme legislative institution of the Zionist Organization. 4. The Zionist Congress is responsible for the programs and initiatives for building the Zionist enterprise in Palestine. 5. By purchasing the Shekel, every Jew has the opportunity of expressing his opinion and wishes regarding these programs and initiatives. 6. The larger the number of people purchasing Shekels throughout the world, the greater the political esteem and influence of the World Zionist Organization. Within the Jewish people, the Zionist movement has already attained a wealth of unforgettable, historical events. Almost every Congress marks some event in the history of the movement. The first Zionist Congress, and the establishment of the Zionist Organization, are the kinds of events that, imbued with the glory of our brilliant past and the seeds of creativity, established the direction and set forth the path for future generations; their imprint will never be erased from the pages of Jewish history. Similarly, the Sixth and Seventh Congresses, in which the spirit of the people and the conscience of past generations expressed themselves, will be remembered for all time in the history of the movement as the congresses that fixed its fate and determined its essence for all time: that the Jewish people and the Land of Israel are a single unity! The Congresses that followed, each in its own way, also played an important role in the history of the movement, and there is no doubt that the forthcoming Sixteenth Congress will also play a valuable role. The past years have been years of upheaval in our movement. Nevertheless, it is moving toward its goal: to make the building our National Home an enterprise that is central to the whole of the Jewish people in the Diaspora. However, the realization of this aspiration requires that we close ranks within our movement. It is our belief that the coming Congress will remove confusion and dispel the clouds, so that a new light will shine upon our movement. Let us fortify our camp; let us strengthen and empower the World Zionist Organization, which has faithfully nurtured the movement and brought it to this point. The Zionist Organization has created a symbol of strength and influence – the Shekel. Let the number of those who bear this symbol increase; recruit Shekel contributors from throughout the ranks of our people. Now, as in days gone by, the Shekel is the basis of the Zionist citizen’s duty. – I trust that our members, wherever they may be, will devote to this major institution of our Organization, and to the Zionist Movement as a whole, the energy and dedication that they deserve. Chaim Weizmann President of the Zionist Organization The idea of Zionist citizenship has yet to strike deep roots within our camp. However, the success of the Zionist ideal depends in no small measure on the success of this idea. For what is Zionism, fundamentally, if not a political movement, seeking to instill in the hearts of its members and supporters a sense of citizenship, loyalty and devotion to its ideal of creating loyal citizens? Most normal nations have symbols indicating citizenship – and their citizens encounter them at every turn. Correspondingly, the Zionist Organization has, for the past thirty years, attempted to instill this recognition. As its symbol, the Zionist genius has created the Shekel. Can one be faithful to the revival of the Jewish people, in the political sense, and yet not understand that expanding the number of the movement’s citizens – by means of the Shekel – is an essential step toward Zionist fulfillment? The Executive of the World Zionist Organization calls on all Zionists – from every circle and ideological stream – to use their best efforts to popularize the Shekel among the masses of the people, and to turn it into a citizen’s tax for the Zionist State. Let every Zionist know that, by encouraging other Jews to acquire the Shekel, they thereby make them Zionist citizens and bring the Zionist State closer to its realization. Let everyone who contributes the Shekel, and all who distribute them, know that they are thus partners with the Zionist Executive in the enormous task of building the National Home. N. Sokolov President of the Zionist Executive Dr. Theodor Zelochisti The Shekel This article is the first of a series of promotional articles written about the Shekel since its inception. It was printed in the newspaper, Die Welt, in 1901, in issue 23. That is, it was in the fourth year of the Organization’s existence, prior to the Fifth Congress. The author was known to be close to the Executive in Vienna, as well as editor of Die Welt at one stage. We feel that the readers would be interested in this article, as it embodies the refreshing ideas about the Zionist Shekel in its early years, as well as expressing the mood of the movement’s leadership at that time. The Editors In every major movement, as in daily life, a person’s energies begin to fail him as he approaches his goal. When the goal is near, almost within reach, there is no longer that same energy that calls forth great effort, imbuing us with a spirit of victory, of being able to overcome all obstacles. We Zionists must be wary of this weakening. During the course of the present year, we have taken great strides forward. The number of our supporters has grown, while our opponents, if not yet enthused by our ideals, have learned to appreciate, to some extent, our holy dedication. We have now reached a crossroads; we must not stop here and be satisfied with what we have achieved. Our strength will not ebb and our devotion will not lessen until we reach the realization of our dream: to build a homeland for our people, which has suffered so much, both physically and spiritually. Our movement is one of peace, and its goals are peaceful; nevertheless, it is imbued with a fighting spirit. Ours is a holy war, one that calls, in the name of humanity, for an end to be put to the desolation in which our people finds itself, and to return the homeland to our suffering brethren. It is a holy struggle! But we cannot fight this war solely by passionate words – even if these come from the purest of hearts; nor with enthusiasm alone – even if it derives from a truly noble spirit. This struggle requires money, money and more money. We have no weapons, no instruments of steel and brass; we require money, in order to unite the people, to give it back its unique national will. And this money – for administration, organization, information – should not come from the private generosity of individual members. It is unseemly that a few individuals give tens of thousands, while the rest sit idly by. This is contrary to the very spirit of our movement, for we are a democratic party in the loftiest sense of the word. To our Parliament are elected delegates who have equal rights, elected by Jews who are equal in rights. Each and every individual is entitled to influence the decisions of our leaders, who are elected by our will. Our political development has taken the opposite form to that of the nations of the world. Among the nations, equality of duties preceded equality of rights – for us, equality of rights will lead to a deep, ingrained recognition of equality of obligations. These few notes should suffice to awaken our Zionist brethren to fulfill their obligation. We shall pay that which we ought, just as the subject of any country pays his taxes to his government. Till now, the Jews have lacked the awareness of this obligation. Till now, they would give their money for Jewish causes as a voluntary donation. The time has come to put an end to this phenomenon. We are entitled to demand it, at least from those Zionists who raise the banner of their Jewishness on high, and do not consider it a burden. We must be suffused by this recognition: our assistance to our brethren, our people and our State is not a donation, but an obligation willingly accepted. Our “party dues” are the Shekel – just like the Shekel that our forefathers contributed in their homeland. At the First Congress, in Basel, it was decided that every Jew who accepts upon himself the Zionist program is required to purchase the Shekel. This obligation is equally applicable to those who, for whatever reason, have been unable to join their national or local Zionist organization. We therefore ask all the licensed distributors – without giving this term too bureaucratic a meaning – to devote their heart and energy to distributing the Shekel. And we hope that this task will not prove too onerous for them, if every Zionist will pay his dues to the movement willingly. And so, comrades – to work! In the coming year there are many vital questions and demands before us. Our leaders have placed their trust in us. They have carried us forward, and we, for our part, must redouble our own efforts. Comrades! Remember the Shekel! Circular from the Zionist Executive in Vienna, dated 1900 Vienna, 10 October 1900 Esteemed friend, The Executive in Vienna feels that it is its duty to send the following announcement to its colleagues in the Zionist Council.