Judaism and the Jewish StateCourse Review

RELIG 210: Lecture 18

Is Zionism New Idea or Fulfillment of Jewish History? Strong connection to Land of Israel

Religious yearning to return Historical connection Jews living in Palestine

No precedent for large scale return Jews in religious AND political exile Return to Land of Israel linked to messianic redemption Judaism designed for diaspora

The Four Oaths and the Meaning of Exile“There are four oaths here: that they not

rebel against the kingdoms; that they not force the End; that they not reveal their mystery to the nations of the world; and that they not ascend as a wall from the Exile.” (Midrash, Song of Songs Rab. 2:7)

Historical Changes

Failure of Emancipation Rise of antisemitism across Europe 1881 Russian pogroms

Jewish acculturationRise of nineteenth-century nationalist

movements Italy, Germany, Bulgarians, Rumanians,etc Identity through territory and sovereignty

The Development of Zionism

1862 Moses Hess,Rome and Jerusalem1882 Leon Pinsker, “Autoemancipation”Theodore Herzl (1860-1904)

The Jewish State, 1896 First Zionist Congress, 1897 “Zionism aspires to the securing of a

national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, guaranteed by public law.”

The First Zionist Congress, 1897

Zionism and the Jewish Question

Clear reason for antisemitism Jews have no homeland Alien people Economic factors No future for Jews in Diaspora

What is the solution?

Founding of the State

1882 First Wave of Immigration1909 Tel Aviv founded1917 British in Palestine; Balfour

Declaration1947 U.N. Votes to Partition Palestine1948 State of Israel declared/War of

Independence

Post-War Refugees

Three Major Zionist Ideologies

Political Zionism-Theodore Herzl Saving the Jews

Cultural Zionism-Achad Ha-am Preserving Judaism

Religious Zionism-Rabbi Kook The Flowering of Redemption

Key Differences:

What is the significance of the Land of IsraelWhat is the purpose of Zionism?

What is the vision for Jewish life in the Land?

What is the future of Jews in the diaspora?

Tensions in Zionism

Multiple visions of Zionism still existVisions have different views on internal

politics, role of religion, meaning of territory, funding priorities

Knesset debate: Rambam vs. John Locke

Judaism and the Jewish State?

No separation of church and stateOrthodox rabbinate in charge of

personal status lawsWho is a Jew question?Polarization in Israel between secular

and religious

Israeli and Jew

New identity based upon citizenship and secular Hebrew culture

Is Israeli identity Jewish?What links Israelis with Jews in the

diaspora?

Jewish and Democratic

“The State of Israel will be open to Jewish immigration and to the ingathering of the exiles. It will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants. It will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisioned by the prophets of Israel. It will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex. It will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture. It will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions.”

New Israeli Culture

MulticulturalPost-ZionismReturn to Jewish Sources

American Judaism and Zionism American Jews initial hesitation toward Zionism/Israel

(1897-1940s) Close ties between American Jews/America and

Israel (1948-1980’s) Philanthropy Jewish Continuity

Fragmentation in American Jewry’s attitude toward Israel Dwindling sense of Jewish peoplehood Tension between universal values and perception of Israel

Concluding Questions?

What is Judaism?What are Jewish values?Who is a Jew?How has this course challenged ideas

about religion in general?

The Dimensions of Judaism

1. Scripture and Interpretation• Fixed and fluid elements• Interpretation within a canon• Rules and guidelines• The modern period

2. Symbolic Vocabulary• God, Torah, Israel, Messiah• Shared themes--radically different

meanings

Dimensions, cont…

3. Communal Forms and Religious Authority

• Classic models of authority• All encompassing rabbinic community• Emancipation and Jewish community

4. Ritual and Worship• Identity construction/Jewish narrative• Meaning vs. set structure

Dimensions, cont…

5. Ethical Values and Formation of the Person• Centrality of moral behavior • Obligated for Tzedakah (righteous deeds)• Lifecycles orient individuals into communal

narrative6. Ideologies of Political Life

• Judaism in dialogue with political authority• Religion integrally linked to politics

21st Century Challenges Religious syncretism (Chrismukkah)

Is the modern period different? Critique of particular

Voluntary and Fluid social boundaries Blessing or curse of assimilation Intermarriage

Ipod Generation: Individual Personal Meaning

Polarization between Orthodox and liberal Jews

Israelis vs. Jews