In 1946, the painter and Hashomer Hatzair member Shraga Weil created his iconic illustrations for the Movement’s Ten Commandments. Weil was one of the central activists of Hashomer Hatzair in Hungary. During the Second World War, he was a member of the Hungarian underground and used his artistic skills to forge documents. After the war, he immigrated to Israel and was among the founders of Kibbutz HaOgen.

​

Weil’s illustrations became an inseparable part of the Commandments and a powerful symbol of Hashomer Hatzair as a whole. Integrity, pioneering spirit, work ethic, equality, loyalty, courage, joy of life, love of nature and humanity, and the struggle for these values - deeply intertwined with a commitment to homeland (its people, language, and land) - were the principles that members of Hashomer Hatzair sought to express through the Commandments.

 

Weil originally prepared the Commandments as a small booklet distributed to all Hashomer Hatzair members in Hungary after the war. They were translated into Hebrew, and the translation became an integral part of the artwork. The Commandments themselves evolved over time, reshaped in response to the ideological transformations that influenced the Movement. Weil’s illustrations achieved iconic status within the Movement and remain among the most recognizable symbols of Hashomer Hatzair.

​

In honor of the 110th anniversary of our Movement, we chose to redesign the Ten Commandments. Just as the Commandments have evolved, their graphic expression also called for renewal. For this purpose, we turned to David Polonsky, one of Israel’s leading illustrators. Through a renewed exploration of the Commandments—their meaning and their relevance to the world around us—David created ten new illustrations. In this new visual language, we sought to maintain a dialogue with the original illustrations, as well as with the artistic influences that shaped Weil’s work within early Zionist and pioneering art of the first half of the twentieth century.

​

Alongside the illustrations, we also undertook a renewed typographic design. The lettering of the Commandments, originally an integral part of the artwork, required thoughtful reinterpretation. This task was entrusted to designer Elad Medan, who developed complementary typography that integrates seamlessly with the new illustrations.

In the renewed Commandments, we incorporated the contemporary “Shomeric” practice of today: education across diverse frameworks, engagement with Israeli society, the Movement’s humanitarian initiatives, the legacy of the Holocaust and resistance, and the revitalization of cooperative spirit within urban kibbutzim. Through these illustrations, we seek to bring new life to the Commandments and draw them closer to younger generations educated in the Movement’s values.

​

After 110 years, Hashomer Hatzair continues to grow and flourish. It stands at the forefront of the struggle over the character of Israeli society and educates young people in the values of equality, justice, and peace.

​

Chazak Ve’ematz!