Zionism: The return to Zion

Zionism

Biblical and exilic roots

The hope of returning to Zion is as old as exile itself. Psalm 126: "When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers." Every year at Passover and Yom Kippur, the prayer concludes: "Next year in Jerusalem."

Modern Zionism

Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), a Hungarian journalist, published Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State, 1896) and organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel (1897). Herzl wrote: "In Basel I founded the Jewish State."

Immigrations (Aliyot)

From 1882 to 1948, waves of immigrants (olim) rebuilt the land. The kibbutzim, the revival of Hebrew, and the armed defense (Haganah) prepared the state.

The Holocaust and the founding of Israel

The Shoah (1939-1945) killed 6 million Jews. The UN approved the partition in 1947. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the independence of the State of Israel.

Reading: Herzl (The Jewish State). Ben-Gurion (Israel: Years of Challenge). Israel's Declaration of Independence.