Model Zionist Conference
Model Zionist Conference The Model Zionist Conference material is divided into nine sections, one for each delegation: six pro-Zionist delegations and three anti-Zionist delegations. Pro-Zionist: 1) Political Zionism 2) Religious Zionism 3) Cultural Zionism 4) Socialist Zionism 5) Revisionist Zionism 6) Conservative Judaism Anti-Zionist: 1) Reform Judaism 2) Agudat Yisrael 3) Universalistic Socialism (Bund) Because some religious groups did not have formal positions on Zionism, the source sheets make use of the perspectives of leading personalities. Each section contains a brief description of the group’s ideological position, short biographies of main proponents, and where possible, citations. The citations were for the most part originally written in German, Hebrew or Yiddish and this unit relies heavily on the translations by Arthur Hertzberg found in his book, The Zionist Idea: A Historical Analysis and Reader. Others were taken from The Jew in the Modern World: A Documentary History by Paul Mendes-Flohr and Jehuda Reinharz. Downloaded from www.lookstein.org Political Zionism Main proponents: Theodor Herzl, Max Nordau, Leo Pinsker Philosophy: Many European Jews, imbued with the spirit of the enlightenment, strove to become accepted in general society. Many found, however, that in spite of the lofty ideals of emancipation, Jews were unable to gain full acceptance in non-Jewish society because of anti-Semitic barriers. The subtle anti-Semitism of Western Europe and the physical anti-Semitism of Eastern Europe drove many Jews to Zionism. This brand of Zionism was motivated not by the desire to revive Jewish culture, but by the drive to create a haven where Jews, unhampered by anti-Semitism, would be free to live enlightened lives.
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