Explainer: What Is Zionism?

From biblical times to the present, Jews and Judaism have had an unbroken connection to Zion, a reference to Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel, derived from the hill at the heart of Jerusalem. Zionism…

Explainer Articles|October 14, 2024|Spanish

Dayenu — From Exodus to Contemporary Israel

Sung or recited on Passover, the original Dayenu is reflective appreciation of 14 significant events specifically wrapped around the exodus from Egypt. The Dayenu presented here chronicles Jewish history from Exodus to the present day. This history can be read individually or responsively. Different moments and personalities in Jewish history could have been included. Hebrew and Spanish versions of Dayenu are available.

Era II: Zionism to Israel, 1898 to 1948

From 1898 to 1948, Zionism evolved from an idea to a concrete reality: the actual establishment of the Jewish state, Israel. Slowly, a few immigrating Jews created facts by linking people to the land. For half a century, fortuity and fortitude made the Zionist undertaking a reality. They exhibited pragmatism and gradually constructed a nucleus for a state. Through perseverance Zionists empowered themselves.

Origins of Israeli Democracy: Jewish Political Culture and Pre-State Practice

Neither Israel’s political culture nor Israel’s democracy based on Jewish self determination simply materialized on May 15, 1948. A connection exists from Jewish self-rule in the Diaspora to Zionist political autonomy during the Yishuv and to contemporary Israeli political culture. Likewise, the origins of Israeli democracy are found in the hundreds of years of Jewish Diasporas transitioning into the Zionist movement to the state; from aliyot before the Palestine Mandate to 1948 and since. Components of Israeli political culture…

Is the BDS Movement on the Rise?

According to the BDS movement’s Palestinian branch, the impact of the movement “is increasing substantially.” Many pro-Israel sites and organizations agree with that assessment. But how accurate is this prognosis?

Issues and Analyses|August 5, 2019

One Tribe, Multiple Minyans

Four out of every five Jews in the world live in the United States and Israel; 6.3 million in Israel, 6.7 million in the US.  According to Pew Research Center Studies, 7 in 10 American Jews feel attached or very attached to Israel.

Issues and Analyses, Ken's Blog|February 13, 2018
Palestine Post front page from May 16, 1948.

What Works in Zionist Education

In teaching history, the most difficult task remains creating context:catapulting students back into a different time frame and having them disregard their contemporary historical perspective. The goal is to witness history as it unfolded, not as it concluded.