Theodor Herzl

Secularism and Its Discontents

In an essay first published December 17, 2010, Yehudah Mirsky examines a defense of Jewish secularism and finds it—and Jewish secularism itself—wanting.

Zionism Before Herzl

In 1876, 21 years before Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress, a non-Jewish woman, writing for an English audience, published a novel with a powerful Zionist message.  She went by the name of George Eliot. 

Who’s Sadat? Or, Defining Israel Literacy Upward

American Jewry is becoming less and less well informed about Zionism and Israel.  Can anything be done to reverse this decline?

Where Does the Modern Period of Jewish History Begin?

In this classic 1975 Judaism article, Michael Meyer argues that there is no value in "setting a definite terminus for the beginning of modern Jewish history."

The “Married to another Man” Story

In the introduction to his popular and influential history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, The Iron Wall, Oxford professor Avi Shlaim tells this story: "The publication of [Herzl's] The Jewish State evoked various reactions in the Jewish com­munity, some strongly favorable, some hostile, and some skeptical . . ."

Strategic Investment in Israel’s New War

Foreign governments, acting thoughtfully and strategically, fund dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that form a flourishing anti-Israel movement within Israel itself.

Neologism and Nationalism

There has never been agreement about Zionism.  Not only is the idea of Jewish nationalism controversial, the very word “Zionism” arouses unique passions, as a recent controversy highlights.