Western Jewry and the Zionist Project, 1914-1933

This 1996 study of the Zionist movement in Germany, Britain, and the United States recognizes 'Western Zionism' as a distinctive force. From the First World War until the rise of Hitler, the Zionist movement encouraged Jews to celebrate aspects of a reborn Jewish nationality and sovereignty in Palestine, while at the same time acknowledging that their members would mostly 'stay put' and strive toward acculturation in their current homelands. The growth of a Zionist consciousness among Western Jews is juxtaposed with the problematic nurturing of the movement's institutions, as Zionism was consumed increasingly by fundraising. In the 1930s, Zionist images assumed a progressively greater share of secular Jewish identity, and Zionism became normalized in the social landscape of Western Jewry, but the organization faltered in translating its popularity into a means of 'saving the Jews' and 'building up' the national home in Palestine.

Preface; Introduction; 1. Manly men and the attempted appropriation of the war experience; 2. A new pantheon: the portrayal of Zionist leaders in the West; 3. Dollars and the changing sense of Zionism; 4. Fundraising and catastrophe; 5. 'From swamp to settlement': rural and urban utopian visions; 6. Nationalized tourism in Palestine; 7. Idealism, realism, and sociability in Western Zionist youth organizations; 8. Cold embrace: the reception of Hasassah and organized European women Zionists; Conclusion.

This 1996 study of the Zionist movement in Germany, Britain, and the United States recognizes 'Western Zionism' as a distinctive force. It focuses upon images of Zionist leaders and Palestine, tours of Palestine, youth and women's organizations, the First World War, and the rise of the Keren Hayesod (Palestine Foundation Fund).