Not the American flag, not an Israeli flag, they’re still flying the red flag at Habonim-Dror Camp Moshava. There’s something deep and atavistic about this symbol, a reminder that, a long time ago in its heyday, Zionism once stood for universal things like socialism and social justice. No matter its very many blind spots, I suspect it was a much better model than the ones now currently pitched on the Jewish cultural market, more idealistic, more political, less trite and “religious.”
- Zachary Braiterman is Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. His specialization is modern Jewish thought and philosophical aesthetics. Facebook | Twitter | Academia.edu.
jewishphilosophy place @ Facebook
-
Recent Posts
- (Christianity) Talmud and the Impotence of God (Petrus Alfonsi)
- Question about Freud re: Surrealism
- Abortion =/= Murder (Jewish Law)
- Medieval Islam & The Dialogue Against the Jews (Peter Alfonsi)
- Virtual Reality Of Holocaust Memory
- Moral Meaning and the Holocaust (James Loeffler)
- (ADL) Anti-Semitism Algorithm
- (James Loeffler) After Charlottesville: Antisemitism, Race, Law (Rudolph Lecture)
- Sefat Emet Passover
- The Hasidic Seder Plate is an Objet de Fantasie
- (Marc Chagall) Les Israélites mangent l’Agneau de la Pâque (1931)
- (Still Lachrymose) The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom (Robert Chazan)
- Stone Cold Truth at Tablet is Schlock
- (Wordle) The Messianic Idea (Nachmanides)
- (Mother & Martyr) Mistress Rachel (Mainz Anonymous)
- Jewish Suffering Human Suffering The Suffering Jesus (Nitzahon Yashan)
- Medieval Anti-Jewish Anti-Semitism (Source Reader)
- Tough Italian Jews (Scroll of Esther) (1616)
- (Esther) Rashi (Aesthetic Judaism)
- Sefat Emet (A Rough Digest)
- (Paul) Toledot Yeshu (Parting of the Ways)
- Russia Ukraine Syria Israel Palestine
- (Re-Alignments) Glory to Ukraine (Anti-Semitism & Liberal Democracy)
- A Few Personal Reflections On Jews and Ukraine, Nostalgia and Points of Departure
- (Ukraine) What They’re Saying On “The Left”
- Pharisees (Matthew)
- (Apocalypse Now) Parting Ways With The Jews (Gospel of Matthew)
- What Trypho Said (Justin Martyr)
- (Technology) Slaves & Automatic Machine Gods (Aristotle)
- (Pro Flacco) You Know How The Jews Stick Together (Cicero)
- aesthetics
- affect
- American Judaism
- ancient Near East
- animals
- anti-Semitism
- architecture
- art
- Ashkenaz
- BDS
- Bible
- blog
- body
- Buber and Rosenzweig
- Buddhism
- China
- Christianity
- cinema
- cosmopolitanism
- death
- Deleuze
- ethics
- gender
- God
- Heschel
- Holocaust
- Husserl
- image
- in-the-car
- India
- Islam
- Israel
- Jerusalem
- Jewish art
- Jewish Philosophy
- Jewish Studies
- Judaism
- Kabbalah-Hasidut
- law
- liberalism
- literature
- Maimonides
- Mendelssohn
- messianism
- Mordecai Kaplan
- Museums & Galleries
- music
- nature
- New York
- object
- Palestine
- parks & gardens
- Passover
- photography
- political theology
- politics
- race
- racism
- religion
- religion and science
- Religious Studies
- ritual
- science
- sculpture
- secularism
- Shabbat & holidays
- Spinoza
- suffering
- synagogue
- Syracuse
- Syracuse University
- Syria
- talmud-midrash
- technology
- what i'm reading
Archives
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
Of course this is the Zionism I remember — too bad it’s buried. When I teach Israeli students and mention the kibbutz as a great social invention I get objections and giggles. The kibbutz is dead and gone, a rusty nail, for nearly all under 30, and for most over 30. Like stories of grandpa milking the cows.
yeah, but there a lot of kibbutzim that made members into millionaires!
In the true spirit of Socialism!
The idea was noble, unrealistic and unsustainable, towards the 80’s their debt collapsed the monetary system, because the tax-payer was forced to cover their debts. they never knew how to manage money, living on grants, subsidies, in an ideal world where one can work, but no profits need to be accrued, somebody else will cover the difference. their treasurers, used to come each morning to Lilenbloom Street. Tel Aviv, getting on the streets, loans (in cash) from money lenders. This is 12th century style of Capitalism that only worked for Socialists.
I left Hashomer Hatzair in Argentina in 1969 at age 16 (together with many others) feeling betrayed by its lack of definition towards the occupied territories. Today Zionism turned to be identified with Imperialism for most people around the world. To me, it was hijacked by Israeli rightist nationalists asociated with the rich bourgeoisie overseas and lost its meaning as a national and social liberation movement. If there’s stil a future for Israel and Judaism it’s in returning to stand at the side of Justice.