Thinking Torah Blog

Last week I informed the congregation that I had signed a T’ruah letter supporting President Biden in his efforts to, among others things, free the hostages in Gaza and work toward a bilateral ceasefire. I began my statement to the congregation by affirming, “I am a Zionist.” The next day during Shabbat services I opened up a conversation about my public shift on ceasefire and engaged folks at services around my evolution and their own as well. During this exchange, questions arose regarding the definition of Zionism, then in a subsequent conversation, another member asked me to define Zionism. Usually when one person asks me a question about Judaism, I assume others have the same question, and certainly when two people ask the same thing in different settings, it clarifies the need to respond.

In contemporary Israel, there are many forms Zionism, though I am not interested in dissecting the various incarnations and objectives of these forms in this note. However, two fundamental tenets bind all forms of Zionism together: Firstly, the Jewish people possess a historical claim to the Land of Israel, which serves as our ancestral homeland, despite numerous expulsions. Secondly, the Jewish people have a right to self-determination. Thus, when I assert “I am a Zionist,” that is all that I mean. While my Zionism encompasses additional dimensions, these core beliefs underpin my perspective. So, even as a Zionist, I am comfortable criticizing the government of Israel or advocating for long term solutions to this conflict that the current Israeli government doesn’t agree with. Irrespective of your stance on the ongoing conflict, I urge you to uphold these central tenets of Zionism alongside me.