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Reclaiming Our Zionist Heritage
by Alan Meyerson, Brandeis University
The Western Wall, located in the Old City in Jerusalem, is the section of a western supporting wall of the Temple Mount, that has remained intact since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. It is sacred by virtue of its proximity to the site of the Temple and specifically the Holy of Holies, which is the holiest site in Judaism. The Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on the ruins of the Temple Mount over seven centuries later.
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The history of the Jews is a painful affair. No other people has endured discrimination, persecution, and a centuries-long Diaspora, only to return to its ancestral homeland head held high—rebuilding the state and restoring its ancient language while honoring its historic religion and culture. No other people has a land like Israel. Yet the vitality of the Jewish people is not a historical accident.
It is precisely because of who the Jewish people are that they have endured so long (your personal opinion of why is another issue). Nonetheless, every facet of Jewish life, from its iconography to its theology to its ritual, has at some point in history been usurped, attacked, or vilified. The word “Jew” itself was, not so long ago, stigmatized to the point that Jews actually avoided its use (e.g. Young Men’s Hebrew Association). Even today the word Jew carries negative connotations in certain circumstances, particularly when used as an adjective or verb (consider: “that Jew banker” or the phrase “don’t Jew me”). Nonetheless, we have taken our word back. Identifying as a Jew today is a source of pride, as it well should be.
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Identifying as a Jew today is a source of pride.
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My point here is not to engage in a simple semantic exercise. The subversion of the word “Jew” is of great relevance to us today, particularly when considering the vocabulary of contemporary dialogue vis-à-vis the Middle East. This is because another word often used to describe Jews, in whole or in part, is undergoing a similarly nefarious barrage of denigration at the hands of media, academia, and governments hostile to The People of Israel, wherever they may live. This word “Zionist”—a word with which I proudly identify.
The history of Zionism dates back over more than three millennia. The texts of the Tehillim, Psalms cherished by Jews and Christians alike, exhibit the passion felt for the Jewish homeland:
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
On willows in its midst we hung our harps.
For there our captors asked us for words of song and our tormentors [asked of us] mirth:
‘Sing for us of the song of Zion.’
How shall we sing the song of the Lord on foreign soil?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill]”
(Psalm 137).
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Zionism has a long and praiseworthy history.
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Perpetuation of this dream is apparent throughout history. The return of the refugees from Babylon who rebuilt the Temple testifies to the viability of the dream. The valor of the Maccabees, who successfully evicted the Hellenistic Seleucids (Syrian Greeks) from the Temple and the Land, is another example of the Jews’ commitment to their Land—it’s the reason we celebrate Hanukkah every year. And the hundreds of thousands of Jews who died in the siege of Jerusalem, and the hundreds of thousands more who against their will fled across the Roman Empire or were sold as slaves, all had one thing in common—they were Zionists.
Though applying the modern political moniker of “Zionist” to Jews of two thousand years ago may seem somewhat confusing, the reality is that Zionism, if not in name then certainly in practice, is much older than the Diaspora itself and consequently the term is not at all misleading. Millennia have a way of transforming group identity. For instance, our contemporary understanding of Judaism is significantly different from that of two thousand years ago, yet those Jews are our ancestors and we interpret their affinity for Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) as a basis for our own. The Islam of a thousand years ago is another clear example: while Europe was languishing through the confusion and poverty that would eventually be transformed by the Renaissance, the Middle East was flourishing as a center of scientific progress and religious tolerance (a far cry from the hybrid of political fascism and Islamic fundamentalism that is so common today). Like the Zionists of two thousand years ago, the Muslims of a thousand years ago, though different from their modern cousins, were their direct predecessors. And while this is historical fact, contemporary language is being transformed to serve those who would like to distort history for their own political goals—one of which is the desecration of the idea of Zionism.
Students on an Israel trip wearing ZOA t-shirts proudly display their Zionism.
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The subtleties of language make it the perfect vehicle for corrosive political ideologies to gain the appearance of legitimacy. Take for instance the Armenian genocide of the early twentieth century. Not only did this unimaginable tragedy set the tone for several future genocides, such as the one currently taking place in Sudan, it also set the tone for the denial and euphemism that accompany mass murder. Even today many individuals, particularly in Turkey, will deny that it was genocide, inventing explanations for the “forced population transfer” such as the agitation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire for independence. Such semantic abuse is also found in cases of Holocaust denial and, especially, in the stigmatization of individuals and their beliefs. Such is the case with Zionism.
So what can be done to counter this phenomenon? First and foremost, we must engage in a mission to take back the word. Zionism has a long and praiseworthy history and everyone who believes in a Jewish homeland should be proud to call himself or herself a Zionist. Irrespective of the practices of individual Zionists or even the policies of the Israeli government (these are debates for another time), Zionism is, at its core, faith in Israel’s legitimacy as a sovereign state. Those who seek to engage in revisionist history and distort the relationship of the Jewish people with their land will also seek to smear the name of this belief—we must not let them succeed.
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Everyone who believes in a Jewish homeland should be proud to call himself or herself a Zionist.
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So wear your ZOA t-shirt. Let others know, with strength and forthrightness, that Israel is the only Jewish homeland in the world. Involve yourself with pro-Israel activities and groups. Stay informed about news from Israel and watch for bias on the part of certain elements of the media that seek to undermine our ancestral homeland. Practice more mitzvot (religiously mandated and meritorious deeds) and acquire strength from your heritage. And, especially for this purpose, identify as a Zionist. Do so with pride and joy. Take back our word, just as we took back our identity as Jews.
We are the first generations in two millennia to see with our own eyes the beauty of our Jewish homeland. And yet, the long wait has certainly been vindicated by the reward.
Alan Meyerson is a junior at Brandeis University majoring in Politics. He is the vice president of Brandeis Republicans.
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