Documentation regarding Keren Hayesod in Riga, 1920-1940

Documentation regarding Keren Hayesod in Riga, 1920-1940
 
 Keren Hayesod was established at the annual conference of the World Zionist Organization held in London in July 1920, as the fundraising arm of the Zionist movement. The Keren Hayesod Manifest of 1920 reflected the determination and decisiveness of the new Zionist organization: "The time has arrived for the concentration of the Jewish effort on behalf of the establishment of the National Jewish Home". Keren Hayesod was charged with the responsibility for the financing of aliya and settlement in Eretz Israel;
 
 Before the establishment of Keren Hayesod, the collection of monies on behalf of the activities of the Zionist Organization was done by Keren Hageulah, and was characterized by local and temporary fundraising activities. Differing from that which was custom before the appearance of Keren Hayesod, the Keren Hayesod organization based its fundraising activity on the imposition of a mandatory annual membership payment, based on the idea of the Biblical "tax" (tithes). This idea changed later to an annual fundraising campaign by Keren Hayesod - the United Fund for Israel, which became the central economic body that acted on behalf of the establishment of an infrastructure for the emerging State and its development;
 
 Keren Hayesod was registered in England as a company on 23 March 1923, whose main aims were activities for the actualization of the idea of the establishment of a National Jewish Home in Eretz Israel, as was written in the Balfour Declaration (1917). In addition to its basic fundraising activities, Keren Hayesod constantly enlarged its fundraising activities also by means of donations, loans and gifts - all for the purpose of financing the establishment, building and maintenance of the Yishuv in Eretz Israel;
 
 In 1926 the head office of Keren Hayesod was moved from London to Jerusalem, and in 1929 the Jewish Agency was established as the operational arm of the World Zionist Organization. Both of these organizations began a historical partnership that continues until today;
 
 Description of the Collection
 
 Directives, regulations, circulars and instructions of the Keren Hayesod center in Eretz Israel; directives and circulars of the assistance organization of the Jews of Germany, and Zionist organizations; correspondence between branches regarding organizational and economic matters; correspondence with the press department and with organizations regarding the organization of meetings; reports of the meetings; lists of representatives of the organization and its guests; lists of people who pay membership dues; lists of students who participated in Keren Hayesod activities; survey reports regarding Keren Hayesod activities in Latvia and in countries in Western Europe; record books of donations; appeals to Ulmanis by Jews who are residents of Latvia, requesting permission to emigrate to Eretz Israel; correspondence with the Northern Company for Mutual Credit (Севернре общество взаимного кредита); surveys regarding the situation in Eretz Israel; statistical reports regarding commerce between Latvia and Mandatory Palestine; articles about Keren Hayesod by famous Zionist activists.