Synopses & Reviews
The Emergence of Modern Jewish Politics examines the political, social, and cultural dimensions of Zionism and Bundism, the two major political movements among East European Jews during the first half of the twentieth century.
While Zionism achieved its primary aimthe founding of a Jewish statethe Jewish Labor Bund has not only practically disappeared, but its ideals of socialism and secular Jewishness based in the diaspora seem to have failed. Yet, as Zvi Gitelman and the various contributors argue, it was the Bund that more profoundly changed the structure of Jewish society, politics, and culture.
In thirteen essays, prominent historians, political scientists, and professors of literature discuss the cultural and political contexts of these movements, their impact on Jewish life, and the reasons for the Bunds demise, and they question whether ethnic minorities are best served by highly ideological or solidly pragmatic movements.
Review
There is a striking imbalance between the number of scholarly works on late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century Zionism and on Bundism, which distorts the relationship between the two movements over time. To say that the Bund has been neglected so far in Jewish historiography (and even more so in the historiography of the labor movement in general) would be an understatement.
The Emergence of Modern Jewish Politics thus represents a long overdue attempt to set the record straight by providing a more balanced assessment of the relative strength of each movement and its contributions to the formation of modern Jewish politics.”
History
Review
Expertly edited. The contributors offer a historiographically balanced and highly perceptive account of the political, social, and cultural dimensions of these two major Jewish political movements. [Their] attention to the interconnectedness and interaction of widely disparate and yet related phenomena is truly impressive. Indeed, this book is one of those rare publications that delivers more than it promises.”
American Historical Review
Review
One of the strengths of this book is its salient reminder that Jews did not, in fact, live in a bi-polar ideological world. A focused and well-integrated collection that is a must read for all those with an interest in modern Jewish experience.”
Ethical and Racial Studies
Synopsis
Collection of essays by prominent historians, political scientists, and professors of literature that examine the political, social, and cultural impact of Zionism and Bundism on Jewish society.