To mark the Bank of Israel’s 70th anniversary, the bank unveiled an exhibit last week that describes the unique story of the Israeli shekel.

Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron: “Seventy years have passed since the establishment of the Bank of Israel.  During that time, the Bank has gone from a young institution in a young country to a leading central bank that has won international praise.  The key to this success was and remains the professional commitment and determination of the Bank’s employees down through the generations, while maintaining the Bank’s independence and its commitment to the good of the Israeli economy.  I am convinced that these principles will continue guiding us in dealing with the challenges of the future.”

The exhibit, entitled “Why a New Shekel”, presents the historical, cultural, and economic aspects of the Israeli currency, one of the country’s most prominent national symbols.

The story of the shekel encompasses the story of the State of Israel.  The sections of the exhibit shine a light on the sources of the symbols that appear on Israel’s currency; present the story of the “Zionist shekel”; uncover some of the less-well-known parts of the Bank’s decision to move from the lira to the shekel during the inflation crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, and provide a view of the future of the shekel in the digital age.

 

The exhibit includes a display of items from the Bank of Israel collection, some of which have never before been shown to the public.  There are also historical and archaeological items of national importance provided by the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Museum, and the Central Zionist Archives.

 

The exhibit also provides a glimpse into the process of issuing currency, and goes behind the scenes of the central bank’s decision-making process regarding currency.

 

The exhibit is open to the general public throughout the year.  Free guided tours of the exhibit will be held on Sundays at the Bank of Israel building in Jerusalem.

 

To register for a tour of the exhibit, please click here.