Zionism

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on the development of Zionism as a religious as well as secular concept and explains how Zionism was based on a paradox. The paper explains the meaning behind the word 'Zionism'. The paper discusses how religious and secular Jews of the latter 19th century differed greatly in their opinions of Zionism; this led to the religious Zionism of Kook and his followers and the labor Zionism of Nachman Syrkin. The paper demonstrates how anti-Semitism, Judaism and socialism all played a vital role in the development of each group's individual concepts.

From the Paper:

"First, it is important to understand the meaning behind the word 'Zionism'. The phrase derives its basis from the name 'Zion,' a biblical term, and is often used as a synonym for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. As an ideology, the Zionist movement began with two types of supporters. First, the religious Zionists sought to recreate the Hebraic culture in terms of linguistic, religious, and ethnic connections to historic Palestine. On the other hand, the secular Zionists sought a solution to the Jewish problem, the dispersal of the Jewish people, and believed Palestine to be the most logical location for a Jewish national state."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bein, Alex. Theodore Herzl: A Biography. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1967.
• Borochov, Ber. Nationalism and Class Struggle. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1974.
• "Deuteronomy." The Holy Bible: New American Standard Edition. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1983.
• Edelheit, Abraham J. History of Zionism: A Handbook and Dictionary. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000.
• ESCO Foundation for Palestine, Inc. Palestine, a Study of Jewish, Arab and British Policies. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1947.

More papers on Zionism:

• Research Paper # 6092 : "Holocaust and Zionism"
• Essay # 24649 : "Zionism During The Holocaust"
• Argumentative Essay # 129136 : "Zionism"

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