Zionism – Part I

The Creation of the State of Israel

Return to Zion is Age Old Dream Weekday Morning Service – Prayers

Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and gather us together from the four corners of the earth…

May you rebuild it [Jerusalem] soon in our days as an eternal structure, and may you speedily establish the throne of David within it…

Grace After Meals Rebuild Jerusalem, the Holy City, soon in our days.

Blessed are you, God, who rebuilds Jerusalem. Passover Seder

Next Year in Jerusalem!

Nationalism: What is it? Definition: A sense of a common history,

language, and culture amongst a group of people sometimes living in the same region, but often scattered. The feelings associated with nationalism lead to a desire for a national home land.

European Nationalism Mid – 19th Century

Germany and Italy estb. Independent nations Require unified and homogenous society Leads to Anti-Semitism

Jews Influenced by these trends Envision a Jewish homeland in Palestine Hebrew as national language

Zionism Definition: Zionism is a political movement

that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.

Negative reaction to anti-Semitism Positive belief in the Jewish People

A Dream is Born:Dr. Leon Pinsker (1821-1891) Born Yehuda Leib Pinsker

in Russia Educated Jewishly in

father’s school & at home. Initially believed in equal

rights and assimilation Pogroms made him

rethink views Auto Emanzipation (1882)

A Dream is Born:Hovevei Zion

Lovers of Zion Built cultural awareness and Pride Goal: send Russian Jews to Palestine 14000 members by 1892

Political Zionism:Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) I

Born in Budapest to an assimilated family

Moved to Vienna where he studied law

Became a journalist Encountered anti-Semitism

at school & work The Ghetto (1894) Father off Zionism Dies suddenly in 1904

Political Zionism:Theodor Herzl II Der Judenstaat (1896)

Jews require country of their own Practical outline to building a viable state Palestine not mentioned

Political Zionism Home land through political assistance and

consent of the community of nations. Would require a charter giving the land to the

Jews

Political Zionism:World Zionist Congress (1897) Builds a support base of Eastern European

Jews 1st Meeting - Basel, Switzerland

Estb. World Zionist Organization Adopt Jewish flag Adopt national anthem (hatikva) “In Basel, I created the Jewish State.”

Opposition to Zionism Protest Against Zionism (1897)

Protest Rabbis Jews are not a nation Assimilation and rights are the answer

The Zionists Are Not Our Saviours (1900) Rabbi Zadok HaCohen Rabinowitz Evil of Secularism God will gather in the exiles

Other Types of Zionism: Spiritual Zionism Ahad Ha’am (One of the

People) “Lo Zeh Hah-Derech” (This

is Not the Way) Political Zionism is not

practical Palestine as cultural center Influences new generation

Chaim Weizmann

Other Types of Zionism:Socialist Zionism – Poalei Zion Program for Proletarian Zionism (1906)

Ber Borochov Combines socialism and Zionism Diaspora

Democratize society by means of class struggle National political autonomy

Zionism Immigration to Palestine Development of country by labor not capital

A Homeland, but where?Palestine Vs. Uganda

6th Zionist Congress (1903) Uganda proposed

7th Zionist Congress (1905) Uganda is rejected

Jewish Territorial Organization Settlement some place,

not necessarily Palestine

Next Class Continue reading pages 529-633 Preview:

Putting ideas into action The politics of Statehood Tensions between Jews and Arabs