Klal Israel – Are we in it Together? Israelis and Jewish Peoplehood
From the Peoplehood Papers #8, this article discusses the perception of the diaspora from the perspective of Israelis. The authors argue that there are three factors that have shaped these views in Israel, including the classic Zionist narrative, politics and religion, and American philanthropy. Ezrachi and Rafaeli believe that meaningful educational initiatives will enhance their sense…
Jewish Peoplehood and Zionism – Towards a Historical Synthesis
The author argues that strengthening the sense of Jewish Peoplehood can only take place around the connection between Israel and the Diaspora: By strengthening already existing short and long term Israel programs for Diaspora youth, but also the opposite: It is wrong that the only connection of Israeli youth to the diasporas will be through…
A Post-Modern Jewish Peoplehood for Israel
The author compares different ways that scholars, writers and activists understand the concept of Jewish peoplehood and provides an analytic framing of the concept. Overall, he sees peoplehood as a concept invented by American Jewry and discusses what happens when it is imported into the Israeli context. He believes that peoplehood has the potential to…
Peoplehood Papers 5: Jewish Peoplehood and Zionism
On the occasion of Israel’s 62nd Independence Day this (the 5th) issue of the Peoplehood Papers is dedicated to exploring the relationship between Zionism and JewishPeoplehood. For individual articles, click here
Jewish Peoplehood: Why?
The author introduces the concept of peoplehood and Jewish peoplehood in Hebrew and English), both both in general and Jewish frames. He goes on to explain the resurgence of the use of the term and concept. He points to two notions, the first a harmless notion of a bond formed between Jews from different locales,…
Rethinking Global Jewish Collectivity in a Post-Statist World
The author frames Mordechai Kaplan’s thinking on the Jewish State and Jewish nation (people), using it to argue that it is time to move from priveleging state over nation and political sovereignty over global collectivity. He suggests that we need to modify the current paradigm which puts the Jewish State at the center, and consider…
Pushing Peoplehood: An Agenda that Matters
Based on the position that intellectual activity around the expression of Jewish peoplehood is aligned with a sense that the bonds of Jewish peoplehood are declining, the authors focus on the implications for Jewish communal settings, especially surrounding tzedaka and community-building – raising money and the level of consciousness around collective Jewish values. Using research…
On the Relationship Between Peoplehood and Zionism
The author questions the relationship between peoplehood and Zionism, distinguishing between dimensions of meanings of the term peoplehood, and offering four propositions that civer the different schools of thought regarding the idea/ideology of Zionism. He concludes that the idea of peoplehood is fully congruent with the basic underlying proposition of the Zionist idea. He notes…
Zionism and Peoplehood: Toward a Historical Synthesis
Religion, nationalism and peoplehood are highlighted as the anchors of Jewish identity. Historically, first religion dominated the three, and then nationalism in the form of Zionism. Changes in classical Zionism in the 21st century have made room for religion and peoplehood to be complimentary rather than contradictory to Jewish nationalism, with a move from state…
When the Jewish People and Israel Conflict
The word “Israel” has multiple meanings and associations. The author discusses the intentional ambiguity of three terms associated with Israel – am (people), eretz (land), and le’om (nation) – signifying a rootedness in a particular geographic locale and the aspiration that all Jews are part of the Jewish collective regardless of where they live. She…
Peoplehood’s Overlooked Origins as a Critique of Zionism and Nationalism
One of the underlying issues in today’s conversations about the meaning of “peoplehood” is situating the term’s relationship with historical expressions of Zionism. There is a lot at stake in establishing precisely where the concept falls on the spectrum between nationalism’s inclination to place the state at the center of collective cohesion and a more…
“Peoplehood” Revisited
The author argues that Mordecai Kaplan’s notion of Jewish peoplehood is central to Judaism. However, she sees this notion as needing to be revisited and restructured; a reframing of the idea in order to give it more power and meaning in the 21st Century. For her, the term is not only about belonging or for…
Ahad Ha’Am At Last
The author argues that the new era of Israel-Diaspora relations isn’t a rejection of classical Zionism, but rather, it is the acceptance of the classical Zionist model propounded by the “cultural Zionist,” Ahad Ha’Am. He argues that Ha’Am’s notion is uniquely suited for the today’s generation of college-age Jews, the Millennials, who are the focus…
Educating about Israel and Jewish Peoplehood: Murmurings about a Field in Formation
The author argues that Zionist and Israel education are in tension with Jewish Peoplehood education. The former stresses the significance of place, the latter, the virtues of space. One narrows yet focuses options for identification; the other broadens yet dilutes options for belonging. In making sense of the the complexity of Israel and peoplehood education,…
Reflections on Israel, Peoplehood, and a New Jewish World
At the ninth annual Herzliya Conference in February 2009, the concept of “Jewish peoplehood” emerged as an important concept, and the author discusses some of the proposed definitions of the concept and arguments raised by Jewish scholars and thinkers in previous volumes of the Peoplehood Papers. While many questions about the concept still remain, the…