How World War I Changed the Course of American Zionism
The war and the danger to European Jewry brought with them a fervor that Jewish activists could only wish for these days.
The Rise of American Zionism
Shocked by World War I, American Jews turned to Zionism as a way to save their European brethren. Their support came at just the right moment to affect the course of Jewish history.
Podcast: Allan Arkush on Ahad Ha'am and "The Jewish State and Jewish Problem" (Rebroadcast)
In 1897, the great Zionist writer Aḥad Ha’am argued that Jewish culture, not politics, was the best avenue to bring about a new Jewish state. This week’s podcast revisits his important ideas.
The First Days of World Zionism, 122 Years Ago Tomorrow
A full English translation of the minutes of the first Zionist Congress is finally available, allowing an engrossing reconstruction of the momentous scene.
Does Such an Entity as "the Jewish People" Still Exist?
These days, many say no—but a functioning Jewish People’s Council would prove them wrong. And that’s reason enough to support it.
The Other Other L. Strauss
Meet Lewis (not Levi, and not Leo) Strauss, the now-forgotten American Jew who helped German Jews escape the Nazis, played a key role in developing nuclear weapons, and more.
How Gentile Zionism Affected the Statesmen Behind the Balfour Declaration
Some of them viewed things in a more inspiring light than that of political and material interests.
For George Eliot, to Appreciate the Jews Was to Save England
In a new lecture series, a master teacher shows the enduring relevance of the great 19th-century novelist’s Daniel Deronda.
What Would Ahad Ha'am Think about Israel Today?
He would likely share more with young men sporting knitted kippot and young women in long skirts than with any other sizable group on the Israeli scene.
Abba Hillel Silver, Man of the Zionist Hour
