Zionism is Judaism

Claire
4 min readJul 13, 2020

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the Shalom Al Yisrael Synagogue floor mosaic, Jericho. Late 6th or early 7th century CE.

The common misconception regarding Zionism, is that it was conjured up by one bearded Austro-Hungarian Jewish political activist, named Theodor Herzl. After all, he was rightfully nicknamed “The Visionary of the State”. There is no denying the path from Herzl to the establishment of the Jewish state, but was that really the first manifestation of Zionism, or was that merely the first western manifestation of the modern concept of a nation?

Herzl formed The World Zionist Organization to promote Zionism in 1897, in Basel, Switzerland. Their goals were stated in a resolution that came to be known as the Basel Program.

“Zionism aims at establishing for the Jewish people a legally assured home in Palestine. For the attainment of this purpose, the Congress considers the following means serviceable:

The promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists [farmers], artisans, and tradesmen in the Land of Israel

The federation of all Jews into local or general groups, according to the laws of the various countries

The strengthening of the Jewish feeling and consciousness

Preparatory steps for the attainment of those governmental grants which are necessary to the achievement of the Zionist purpose.”

The story of the Jewish people, traditions, calendar, holidays, religion, and culture, are deeply ingrained in their ancestral land, where the religion was birthed, formed, and preserved both in Israel, and diaspora for thousands of years. Jewish culture and celebrations are centered around life in Israel and its land. Agricultural anthology of Mediterranean seasons and crops are preserved from one generation to the next. The thematic tones of self-sovereignty in Israel is at the heart of the Jewish soul.

From slavery to freedom and sovereignty in Israel, as we celebrate our Pesach. Commemorating our travel through the dessert on Sukkot, or our rebellion against empires on Hanukkah. Our return from one hundred years of Babylonian exile, as recognized by Cyrus the Great. Our vow to never forget Jerusalem or we forgo our right arm. “Hear us Israel” we say in our deepest moments, trying to connect to our Jewish spirit. And of course we raise our glass for next year in Jerusalem.

It is believed that these traditions we kept for thousands of years in every corner of the world was a passive form of Zionism, however, active manifestation never stopped both in the land and outside. From the rebellions of the Jews in Israel throughout the ages, to Jewish uprising in Kurdistan in 1160, to a large-scale emigration of Jews from Yemen in 1868, and the travel of over 300 French and English Rabbis to Israel in 1211 C.E.

By in large, Jewish history is told with a European focused mindset. And so the story of Maimonides, one of the most prolific and influential Jewish Sephardic scholar, whose celebrated work was written in exile in Morocco, is rarely regarded as a prelude to modern political Zionism, and often left in yeshiva room contemplation, though his approach to the exiled mind, should be regarded as ground breaking within Jewish philosophy.

The poetry of Yehuda Halevi, a Sephardi physician, and philosopher, who wrote:

לִבִּי בְמִזְרָח וְאָנֹכִי בְּסוֹף מַעֲרָב

אֵיךְ אֶטְעֲמָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֹכַל וְאֵיךְ יֶעֱרָב

אֵיכָה אֲשַׁלֵּם נְדָרַי וָאֱסָרַי, בְּעוֹד

צִיּוֹן בְּחֶבֶל אֱדוֹם וַאֲנִי בְּכֶבֶל עֲרָב

יֵקַל בְּעֵינַי עֲזֹב כָּל טוּב סְפָרַד, כְּמוֹ

יֵקַר בְּעֵינַי רְאוֹת עַפְרוֹת דְּבִיר נֶחֱרָב.

The essence of Jewish diaspora longing for return. Yehuda Halevi died not long after realizing his dream of arriving to the Holy Land in 1141.

The poetry of Shalom Shabazi (1619–1720), one of the greatest thinkers of Yemeni Jews. One of his most beloved poems is The Love of Hadassa, an allegory of the Jewish nation yearning for emancipation.

The unwavering dedication of Beta Israel to the Jewish tradition, despite being isolated from mainstream Jewish communities for at least a millennium. While European missionaries, did their best to convert the Ethiopian Jewish community, a Jewish man named Faitlovich, connected the community with the rest of the Jewish nation, and worked on improving their conditions. From his first visit in 1904, establishing schools, to his letter, in 1906, calling the Beta Israel “our brethren, sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who dwell in Abyssinia” and “our flesh and blood”, which was signed by 44 world Jewish leaders including the chief rabbis of London and Vienna and the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. This is the spirit of Zionism and Judaism. The love and care the Jewish nation extended for one another all throughout diaspora. The dream of one day uniting in our home.

While enlightenment pushed to advance the rights of Jews in Europe (as well as secularization), as dictated by the principles of late 1770 of nation states, nationalism also spurred increased antisemitism and violence against Europe’s Jewry. MENA and Beta Israel Jews, on the other hand, remained largely religious with little to no advocation of equality amongst their own nations inhabitants. Zionism in both societies, therefore, manifested itself through religious passivity in the east, and political activism in the west.

Zionism is as Jewish as can be. It is our ancient longing for the return to our ancestral land. It is our emphasis of our land through our culture and traditions. It is the recognition of Jews as a people and a nation among nations. It is a demand for sovereignty, an end to our exile, and emancipation from dhimmitude. It is our understanding that we can only be free in our land. Zionism is the realization of Judaism.

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