1904 - The Blue Box is born: Haim Kleinman, a bank clerk from Nadvorna, Galicia, placed an Eretz Yisrael collection box in his office and wrote about it to Die Welt, the Zionist newspaper in Vienna. The idea garnered great enthusiasm, and in the early 1900’s, Krementzky had a metal collection box fashioned at a local factory in Vienna with a Star of David and the words ‘Jewish National Fund’ inscribed on it. Because of its color, it became known as
the Blue Box.
And today?
What began over
116 years ago in Basel has now become a worldwide movement, with offices and partners in 48 countries around the world. The Land of Israel was redeemed by Jewish people worldwide working hand-in-hand. Today, it continues to be developed with the support of communities worldwide. Today, we see the results of this precious partnership: Hundreds upon hundreds of change-generating KKL-JNF projects paint the landscape in green, for
afforestation and ecology; blue, for
water; and brown for
people and the land, upon which communities are built, roads are paved, research is carried out, and fields are plowed.