The author demonstrates the uniqueness of American Zionism through a 50-year historical overview of the Jewish community in the United States and its relationship to its own government, to European events and to political developments in the yishuv.
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Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00092897734
Seller: The Book Spot, Sioux Falls, MN, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks377411
Seller: killarneybooks, Inagh, CLARE, Ireland
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Hardcover, xiv + 261 pages, NOT ex-library. Book is clean and bright throughout, with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Minor handling wear only. Bright untorn dust jacket. -- This study illuminates the transformative journey of Zionism on American soil, tracing how a European-born nationalist movement was recalibrated to resonate with the ideals, anxieties, and political realities of the United States. Between 1897 and 1948, American Zionists - faced with assimilationist pressures, anti-Zionist opposition from Reform Judaism, and skepticism from the State Department - crafted a uniquely "Americanized" Zionism. This hybrid ideology reconciled Jewish nationalism with American patriotism, philanthropy, and Progressive values, exemplified by leaders like Louis Brandeis, who framed Zionism as a democratic, humanitarian endeavor akin to America's own founding ideals. Through case studies of pivotal events (the Balfour Declaration, the Arab riots of 1929, the Biltmore Conference of 1942), institutions (the Federation of American Zionists, the Jewish Agency), and individuals (Brandeis, Stephen Wise, Rabbi Louis Finkelstein), the book reveals how American Zionists navigated dual allegiance accusations, antisemitism, and governmental hostility to make Zionism a legitimate, mainstream cause. By 1948, this Americanized narrative - emphasizing refuge for persecuted Jews, democratic statehood, and humanitarianism - had not only swayed public opinion but also secured critical political support, culminating in Truman's recognition of Israel. Ultimately, the book posits that American Zionism served as a barometer of Jewish acculturation, communal power shifts, and the evolving symbiosis between American identity and Jewish particularism. -- Contents: Introduction; 1 Forging an American Zionism: The Maccabaean; 2 A Clash of Ideologies: Reform Judaism vs. Zionism; 3 Zionism in the Public Square; 4 A Modern Synagogue in Jerusalem; 5 The Social Worker and the Diplomat: Maurice B. Hexter and Sir John Hope Simpson; 6 Jewish Immigration to Palestine: The Zionists and the State Department; 7 The American Jewish Conference: A Zionist Experiment at Unity and Leadership; 8 Out of Step with the Times: Rabbi Louis Finkelstein of the Jewish Theological Seminary; Afterword; Notes; Index. Seller Inventory # 012004