“The Zionist Shekel”: World Zionist Organization Poster from 1939

Extremely rare poster calls to “Get Your Shekel” and donation to the Zionist cause, designed by the renowned artist Moï Ver (Moshe Raviv-Vorobeichic), Israel, 1939

The World Zionist Organization (WZO), founded in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress convened by Theodor Herzl in Basel, was the heart of the Zionist movement. Over decades, its efforts united Jewish communities worldwide, ultimately leading to Israel’s establishment in 1948.

The Zionist Shekel was part of a fundraising program introduced by the WZO towards the elections for the second Zionist Congress in 1898. Hundreds of thousands of its supporters joined its ranks by “weighing the shekel” (paying an annual “membership fee). This fee was called “shekel” after the ancient Hebrew coin. Every person aged 18 and above who bought a shekel earned the right to vote for Zionist Congress delegates. At 24, buyers could even stand for election as Congress representatives themselves.

The funds raised were no mere membership dues—they were used to fund the Zionist course, from purchasing land in Eretz Israel to supporting aliyah, constructing schools, and rescuing Jews from persecution, the shekel was a lifeline for the Jewish future.

This rare poster, titled “Worker, Get Your Shekel,” was printed in Eretz Israel in 1939—a year of profound darkness for Jews in Europe. As World War II loomed and the horrors of the Holocaust began to unfold, this poster served as a rallying cry. It urged the Jewish community to unite, support refugees fleeing Nazi terror, and strengthen the Zionist movement in a time of desperate need. Its powerful message resonates: “Help bring safe shores to the refugees of the diaspora and fortify Zionist power.”