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Originally Posted by levite
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Originally Posted by Willravel
How prevalent was Zionism before World War 2?
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It depends on where you were. In the USA, not very. It was here, but it was very much lost in the jumble, just another enterprising Jewish idealist movement (at least until the onset of troubles associated with the rise of Nazism gave significance to Jews having somewhere to flee).... On the other hand, it was huge in Eastern Europe. Probably because life was good for Jews in America, and it sucked donkeys in Eastern Europe. When you're a penniless Russian peasant, and even if you're a penniless Soviet peasant, the adventurous, idealistic life of a kibbutznik (a worker on a socialist farming collective, which was what most early Zionist settlements were becoming by the end of the 1910s, and had become by around the 1920s or so) seemed pretty freaking sweet. So they made aliyah (emigrated to British Palestine, as it was then called) by the thousands. And not just Russians, either, but from all over the lands that were becoming the Soviet bloc after 1917.... And the support for it was enormous in those quarters. Slightly less in Western Europe, but still more than in America. I think Western European Jews saw this as their great chance to fulfill the Enlightenment dream at last, and be a regular nationalist entity among other nations. |
This is the modern Zionism as we know it today. An active Zionism started in the late 1800s by Herzl. But Zionism as part of Judaism goes way back to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and most notably Moses. Issac lived his whole life in the land of Israel (or the future land of Israel - the land that God promised him and his father, and his children). Jacob insisted that when he died his body should be burried in the land of Israel. Moses yearned to enter Israel but was not allowed.
throughout Jewish history there is this undercurrent of desire to emigrate to the land the Jews feel was promised to them and their children.
---------- Post added at 11:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 PM ----------
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Originally Posted by dlish
how do eruvs work?
from what i understand, it allows you to do things on the sabbath that you usually cannot do. can anyone decide what an eruv is, or do you need a rabbi to declare the equivelant of a fatwa?
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There is alot of good information here:
Eruv - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But the basics are that an eruv makes it permissable to carry. it does not really allow for much else.
What happens in most cities where there is a large Jewish populations is that there is a group fo rabbis who oversee certain services that the community feels is important
- kashrut certification for local restaurants
- kashrut certification for local food businesses
- Overseeing of kashrut at events that want to have kosher food served to guests
- one or more eruvs
- Jewish courts to settle halachic matters should the two parties agree to go to these courts
- conversions
- Death and Burial rituals
This group of rabbis is appointed by the community and changes now and then. Most often they come from the denominations (gorups) more to the right on the observant spectrum. This often ends up in those on the left having their own similar groups to cover the same services.
Back to the eruv.
So an eruv is essentially is a contiguous series of acceptable objects that surruound an area. Fence and phone or electrical wires are often make up part of the eruv and where there is nothing to continue the connection a thin string is setup. The eruv ends up completely surrounding an area. Rabinical interpretation of what is halachicaly acceptable to be part of an eruv is what ends up making up the eruv. Once setup it is checked every week sometime on Friday by volunteers. Some communities have a website or some other way of notifying people if there is a problem with the eruv and that it can't be relied on that shabbat. The general rule is that unless you hear otherwise you assume that it is in good order. The idea is not to overburden yourself with worries and stringencies.
The need or desire to have an eruv (and some groups don't want or don't follow this leniency) is really based on praticality.
There are alot of simple things that you would not be able to do without one.
- You would not be able to bring young childdren to synagogue as pushing a stroller would not be permitted. Many groups fel that synagogue is a family experience.
- You could not carry the key to your house in your pocket.
- You could not carry some tissues in your pocket
- You could not cary your talit (prayer shal) or siddur (prayer book)
Many feel that it really makes the observance of the sabbath better and becuae the law allows for it why not use it. Others feel that it is a leniencey and would prefer to be more stringent.