Hátoldalán felirat: Az első cionista kongresszus, Basel 1897 emlékére, művész kézaláírása Hand signed on the reverse and written: "FIRST ZIONIST CONGRESS BASEL 1897."
On reverse: Laurel encloses 4-line Hebrew quotation from the Prophet Zechariah, "Not through strength and not through power says the Lord of Hosts."
The design must have raised eyebrows in its day, as its use of realistic portraiture was contrary to Orthodox tradition. The medal exemplifies the Haskalah or Enlightenment movement of Eastern Europe that sought to harmonize religious law and custom with the modern world.
