Many of us, caught off guard by the horrific events in the land of Israel since October 7, 2023, now find ourselves thinking about Zionism. What is Zionism?
For Theodor Herzl, a dominating figure from the time of his appearance at the first Zionist Congress in 1897, Zionism was a movement to secure Jewish control of the land of Israel and, by creating a safe haven there, to save Jews from continued persecution. There was no consensus on this point, however. From Ahad Ha’am’s point of view, efforts to extend Jewish sovereignty over the land of Israel were never the main point and very well might have been a source of harm.
This course tells the dramatic story of ideological clash and personal rivalry between Theodor Herzl and Ahad Ha’am. It will explore the rift it exposed in the Zionist movement and the ensuing schism that continues to ramify in our world to this day.