David Ben-Gurion on Herzl, Zionism and Zion

Matia Kam

“News swept through the town: Messiah has arrived”

David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) did not meet, nor did he get to see Benjamin Ze’ev Theodore Herzl (1860-1904). But that image of Herzl as the messiah, was etched in Ben-Gurion’s memory. It was Herzl who brought to the town of Plonsk, where Ben Gurion grew up, the Zionist message. Eight years later, Herzl died unexpectedly and Ben-Gurion wrote of the shock at his untimely death, which dashed so many Jewish hopes. “In the summer of 1904 our town was stunned by the news: Herzl was dead. It is hard to describe what a blow it was for all of us, young and old. I was profoundly depressed—darkness filled my world, the light was gone from my life.” read more

The Futility of Revenge: Thoughts on the Crisis in Israel
Peter Eisenstadt

A few words on the horrible events in Israel this week. The discovery of the bodies of the three murdered yeshiva students, followed by the immolation of a Muslim teenager as a revenge murder; and the cynical manipulation of the frenzy by the Netanyahu government, which tried to use to its own political advantage, breaking up the Fatah-Hamas alliance by rousing the rabble, and many other horrible events.

The big word of the week was “revenge,” which many in Israel called for in the most terrible fashion until it spiraled out of control and led to the murder of the Palestinian climate, and with Palestinians seething in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel proper, the region seemed on the brink of a new intifada. This is probably not wanted by anyone, or by very few–Palestinians have too many nightmares about the 2nd intifada to want a repeat of any sort, and Netanyahu, despite considerable opposition from his own cabinet, doesn’t want the headache of another war. read more

Reb Zalmen and Howard Thurman
Peter Eisenstadt

My dear friend, the late Aaron Braveman, who spent over half a century in Jewish education, used to complain to me, “nowadays, the only thing people want from Judaism is spirituality, spirituality, and spirituality.” Aaron was a fervent believer in Judaism, but like so many in his generation, it did not involve personal encounters with God. If Judaism has changed in this regard, it is due in large measure to the influence of Zalmen Schachter-Shalomi, or Reb Zalmen, who combined Hasidic piety with an exuberant counter-cultural sensibility that knew few bounds. After a long, remarkable, and sometimes messy life, Reb Zalmen passed away this week at age 89. read more

Zionism Unsettled Creates Zionist Demons
Michael Aronson

The central fault of Zionism Unsettled, the Presbyterian Church’s recently published teaching and discussion tool on the Israeli-Palestinian occupation, is the lofty goal it sets for itself. In trying to answer the question, what are the problems of Zionism, it finds itself trying to answer another, fiercely difficult question, what is Zionism, in absolute terms in order to back up its claims. The problems are conflated with the phenomenon such that the phenomenon becomes the problem. read more

The Single Most Important Event in Human History
Peter Eisenstadt

What was the single most important

event in all of human history? There certainly are a number of plausible candidates, but I had to pick a discrete “event” happening at one particular time, it might be the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the somber centennial of which we are remembering this weekend. (Somber except in Sarajevo itself, where the local Serbs, demonstrating that they have learned nothing and forgotten nothing in the intervening century, decided it was a good occasion for a party.) read more

Primary Day in Mississippi
Peter Eisenstadt

It was primary run-off day in South Carolina on Tuesday. We voted in a storefront church in a strip mall. In South Carolina, there is no party registration, so you can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary, but if there is a run-off, you are obliged to vote in the same party you voted for in the regular primary. This was not an especially noteworthy primary. South Carolina has a lot of elected officials, which might sound like a good thing, but since most people if they care about politics at all, focus on the top of the ticket, it becomes an exercise in sham democracy. Not many people showed up, no more than 10% of eligible voters, for a run-off between candidates for Superintendent of Education, and Adjutant-General, whatever the hell that is. But we did. read more

On The Presbyterian Church Resolution
Peter Eisenstadt

Before it becomes old news, a few words on the decision of the Presbyterian Church, USA last week to divest their holdings from a select group of companies that sell military equipment that Israel uses on the West Bank. This has created an enormous volume of commentary. Jewish groups, from J Street rightward, including the Reform movement, have condemned the action of the Presbyterian Church. BDS has become a new litmus test for the American Jewish community, and there are many who feel that unless they condemn the actions of the Presbyterian Church, they will lose their standing in the American Jewish community. The fear is understandable. read more

Divestment: A Reply to Jewish Friends
Drew Ludwig

The General Assembly deliberated for quite some time, and was careful as to what we were doing, and to what we were saying–and not saying. I was there, and can speak to the prayer and thought that went into this action.

We are not divesting from Israel, nor are we labeling Israel an apartheid state. We also acted to clearly state that this action is not an endorsement of, or participation in the BDS movement.

Instead, we have chosen to divest from three particular companies that are not in line with our pre-determined strategy of non-investment in military technology. Our MRTI team (Mission Responsibility Through Investment) team has not only investigated these technologies, but has also engaged each of the companies in an attempt to bring our investments back in line with our values–repeatedly–to no avail. read more