Zionism

The SS Exodus 1947 was a ship that carried Jewish emigrants from France to British Mandatory Palestine on July 11, 1947. Most of the emigrants were Holocaust survivors who had no legal immigration certificates for Palestine. Following wide media coverage, the British Royal Navy seized the ship and deported all its passengers back to Europe. In the same period, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine visited Palestine to assess the conflict between the Jews and Arabs, trying to find a…

Another major reason Herzl wanted to create a Jewish state is because of the economic and class inequalities many Jewish people faced in different European countries. Herzl, in one section, describes how many Jewish people had to work even harder than mainstream Europeans when they entered into the middle class from the lower income class. Herzl states, “For we had, curiously enough, developed while in the Ghetto into a bourgeois people, and we stepped out of it only to enter into fierce…

The Balfour Declaration serves as evidence that the British supported a national home being made for the Jews in Palestine. The Brits supported the Jews with the hope that they would support them back as they go into World War I. After all, the final say in the publication of this document was determined by Britain’s War Cabinet. Forming a national home for the Jews would allow Britain to gain support of Jews in other countries that may serve as neutral. Having another country as an ally would…

There is a line in the musical Spamalot where Sir Robin sings to King Arthur; “In any great adventure, if you don 't want to lose ... you won 't succeed on Broadway if you don 't have any Jews!" (PBS, Broadway Musicals). If you can look past the sweeping generalization, Sir Robin’s surprising lyric turns out to be very true about musicals. Historians have recognized that Jewish immigrant culture heavily influenced the content of musical theatre when it was popularized in America during the early…

What makes the perfect parent? Countless magazines and websites strive to answer the question but often possess differing opinions on what techniques and parenting styles will foster the ideal child. In Chaim Potok’s novel, The Chosen, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders grow up in polar opposite households. While both practice Judaism, their separate sects often highlight differences in their respective upbringings. Literature mimics real life and while reading, I found myself comparing the boys’…

Martin Luther’s legacy of writings against the Jews is very well known in theological and historical circles, which have been pondering over the meanings behind the writings and the factors that influenced Luther’s views of the Jews. A close reading of Luther’s works regarding the Jews reveals a major change in both tone and content from generally conciliatory and amiable to violent, vitriolic rants against the Jewish People. Luther’s tone is not the only aspect of his writings on Jews that…

After the World War 2 the Hungarian government abolished anti-Jewish legislation and put to trial and imprisoned those involved in the deportation and destruction of the Jews; however, no law was passed to return property lost or confiscated in the Holocaust. Anti-Semitism was banned, but anti-Jewish sentiments still continued. Assimilation is a major problem in Hungary. Anti-Semitism remains a problem, even into the twenty-first century. In recent memory attacks by "nationalists" on foreign…

In the Israeli political sphere, controversial issues fly through society each day. From the Knesset to the Shabbos dinner table, politics is a central component of living in Israel. Avigdor Lieberman is the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, a right-wing, nationalist party. While his party is certainly far from being the largest in government, he often plays the role of kingmaker when building right-wing coalition governments. Lieberman’s variant of conservatism involves strong nationalist tendencies…

Furthermore, Jewish terrorist groups comprised of mostly Orthodox Jews have been active for decades and their terror acts were mostly committed in Israel and adjacent disputed territories, also known as Palestine. They combine their religious motivations with political and territorial goals. They tend to be religious Jews whose rhetoric, motivation and purpose are deeply religious. These Halakha-centred Jews engage in horrifying acts not only on the settlements and disputed land but also at…

Bricks: The Influence of Space on Identity ‘In Hebrew culture throughout the ages, the Land of Israel has been perceived and depicted as the center, the homeland of the Jewish nation, and the role of the land in the Zionist narrative has been pivotal.13’ (Weiss 2015: 61). From this description of Israel, it is clear to understand why the theme of home is important to the development of identity in both When I Lived in Modern Times and A Pigeon and A Boy. In this chapter, the title ‘Bricks’…