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Early Zionism. IAFS/JWST 3650. Outline. European Persecution of Jews Development of Zionism Zionist Settlers in Holy Land. Jewish Life in Eastern and Western Europe. W Europe (mid/late-19 th c): Economic integration Growth of secular nationalism
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Early Zionism IAFS/JWST 3650
Outline • European Persecution of Jews • Development of Zionism • Zionist Settlers in Holy Land
Jewish Life inEastern and Western Europe • W Europe (mid/late-19th c): • Economic integration • Growth of secular nationalism • Jews widely assimilated by end 19th c
Jewish Life inEastern and Western Europe • E Europe (mid/late-19th c): • Religious hostility, poverty • Russian restriction of Jews to Pale of Settlement
Pogroms [Puh-GRAHMS] • 1881: Czar Alexander II assassinated • Russian government response targets Jews • Organized attacks on Russian Jews
Russian Jewish Responses • Mass migration from Russia to US • 1m refugees by 1900 • 1.6m refugees by 1914
Development of Zionism • 1860s: Moses Hess, Plan for the Colonization of the Holy Land • Proposals not taken seriously • 1882: Leo Pinsker, Auto-Emancipation • To win equality, Jews must become nation among nations • EretzYisrael best location
Development of Zionism • 1886: Nathan Birnbaum • Zionism is “movement to reestablish a Jewish nation in Palestine.”
Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) • Made his brand of Zionism into a world issue • Assimilated Hungarian/Austrian Jew • Shocked by Dreyfus Affair
Dreyfus Affair • 1894: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus falsely accused of spying for Germany • Bitter anti-semitic reaction • 1906: Dreyfus exonerated
Herzl, The Jewish State (1896) • Herzl reported on Dreyfus trial • Confirmed pessimism about assimilation • “In vain are we loyal patriots . . . in vain do we make the same sacrifices of life and property as our fellow-citizens . . . In countries where we have lived for centuries we are still cried down as strangers.”
Herzl, The Jewish State (1896) • “I think we shall not be left in peace.” • Therefore Jews needed a state of their own • But where?
First Zionist Congress, Basel (1897) • “Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in EretzYisrael secured under public law.” • Called for settlement, organization, strengthening Jewish national feeling, and obtaining governmental consent
QuickThink • Why did the Basel Congress produce such a vague declaration?
Themes • Early nationalisms . . . related to land? • Russian pogroms: • Drove out millions of Russian Jews • Boosted Jewish discussion about alternative home
Themes • Dreyfus Affairs confirmed worst fears re failure of assimilation • Herzl won outside attention for this internal debate