The first positive injunction of every organized Zionist is to pay his shekel. This is a symbol of his being a member of the organization, a sign of his status, the seal of his plan and his citizenship papers in the World Zionist Organization. By virtue of this shekel he has the right to vote and to be elected to all the conventions and the congresses taking decisions on the most important questions in all aspects of our national rebirth and in all avenues of the nation's efforts for its land and its liberty.

         The question of the shekel is, as far as the Zionist Organization is concerned, a question like to be or not to be? Anyone interested in the survival of the Zionist Organization and is blessed with a spark of logic and experience and consistency, must be ready to collect sh'kalim. The Organization was founded first and foremost on this basic premise. All who are interested in seeing our country rebuilt speedily and modernly, in augmenting our influence and overcoming barriers set up by others, and turn with these justified demands to the Zionist Organization, will of course understand that in order that this Organization be able to operate, it must first survive, and if its treasury remains empty, then both compliments and criticisms will remain hovering in midair, as a kind of theoretical give-and-take.

         On all sides, the desire has been expressed both throughout the Jewish world and in the Jewish national land, not only to encourage and support our organization, but also to strengthen it more than at present. If this good will spreads throughout broad avenues of our people, a desire to help rebuild our land, the Zionist Organization, which was set up for that specific purpose, and for which this is the only raison d'etre , will be obliged to strengthen itself and expand, as would be proper, in accordance with its historic function, in order to take charge of all the work in order to protect the foundations, knowingly and courageously.

         Yet this, which undoubtedly unites all organized Zionists as a concept, must remain – despite the most encouraging arguments and articles – an abstract idea and theory if the first condition does not present them in fact: the shekel. For it is our deeds that draw us nearer, and our deeds that keep us at a distance. If there are more organized Zionists – they will have greater influence; less organized Zionists – less influence, and the measure of organized Zionism is the shekel. Our strength is measured by the number of our sh'kalim, as far as influence in the Organization is concerned. From here on the other great debts begin, but the point of origin and the first base are the shekel.

         The shekel is not only necessary for the Organization and its offices, something urgent which should neither be delayed nor missed. The shekel also reflects our strength outward. According to the shekel we are weighed and appraised, just how strong we are, and if we are striving for more jobs we will not be able to demand blind faith of others, because the others will require something countable. Have the organized Zionists multiplied or become fewer? This question is never answered by ceremony or demonstration, which are perfect in their own time and for their own purposes. Neither is it sufficient to reply to this question that our nation is making great sacrifices for the rebuilding of the land, which in itself is something we can take great pride in. The reply must be like the question, direct and open. The fact that there is possibly a majority of our people who regard affectionately and generously their ties with our land is already well known, and we hope that this fact will become ever more pronounced. But the question concerns the Zionist Organization – how many Jews are members of it, how many of them have given us, the Zionist Organization, the power of attorney to meet at congresses and to take decisions, to approach governments and the League of Nations with proposals and demands? The precise answer to this precise question is – according to the laws of the Organization – only the number of sh'kalim!

         Who, then, will not comprehend that the question of the number of sh'kalim, be they many or be they few, is thus a decisive factor in one's political Zionism? There are seven eyes looking at us, counting us – and rightfully so, for we ourselves decided on this symbol! We, in advance and openly, announced upon founding our Organization: we will count the organized Zionists by means of the shekel!

         And so – where is the effort to gather in the sh'kalim? We certainly don't want to cover ourselves up in a veil of silence, which would have no effect anyway. Are we going to put people's eyes out? This urgent task has been pushed into a corner because of our negligence. Our honored and haughty members don't like to deal with such "small things". They become disgusted with "black labor", with boring, automatic work.

         I thus call upon your logic and your wisdom: my brothers in belief, organized Zionists! Isn't this an awful mistake? Boredom, "small things"? This is the withering and the fatigue of our national energy which is intended to be strong, eternally fresh, always new. True, some of our people joined us merely for their own pleasure, to amuse themselves with novelties and tremendous ideas, and after they lost their novelty and degenerated into little matters, they turned burdensome. But you, heroes of the spirit, who suffer and persevere, who have already experienced more than ten tests of faith – you do not seek great things for yourselves, you are simply the faithful servants of your people, and you know that the building of a country and a nation is no joke, and cannot be measured by the measures of small things or large things, for all their parts have to be borne together, and together they add up to a tremendous, eternal project! The survival and required expansion of our Organization require that we undertake this great project! And if this means that we have to go around begging – we will go begging! We will exploit our self-respect and wear the clothes of beggars, if this is what is needed for our country and our freedom!

         We shall collect sh'kalim and not grow tired! Just as the shekel was once valuable, so it is valuable today! Its taste and smell, as it were, have not faded away by any means! We shall amass a large number of sh'kalim, after the "dry" period we experienced last year in this respect. We must remember that all our hard work will be in vain, our plans will not be realized and our hands will be useless, if our Organization does not stand firm on a respectable height which will stand out by virtue of the number of its sh'kalim.

         Here, young brethren! The youth are like sharpened arrows, and your hearts enclose much good for the house of Israel! May our elders act like heroes who take those arrows in their hands and aim them at the target.

         Collect sh'kalim! Collect many sh'kalim!
         The goen dream of Herzl – that all Jews would pay the shekel – has not come true! We can still help it be realized, for the shekel – to work!