“Civilians, when we go through this we need all the help and comfort you can give - The Jewish Welfare Board” was one of many posters issued during World War I. This poster was commissioned by the National Jewish Welfare Board. The board was formed on April 9, 1917 and became one of the six organizations that formed the United Service Organization during WWI. According to The Vintage Poster, the board provided Jewish soldiers with kosher food, Passover meals, holiday services, and trans-denominational prayer books, while also training Rabbis to serve as aids in the Jewish military. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, approximately 250,000 Jewish Americans fought during World War 1, about 3,500 died, and 12,000 were wounded. This poster was commissioned in 1918 from Sidney Riesenberg, an American artist and illustrator from New York who was known especially for his oil paintings. This picture of a soldier prompts civilians to join the war effort and help fund the Jewish Welfare Board. This poster was created and reproduced as a lithographic print at the time of its distribution.
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