Before the establishment of the State of Israel and in Israel’s early years, the movement for a Jewish state in the Holy Land would be more accurately described as “Zionisms.” Although all Zionists were looking to establish safety in a Jewish homeland, their ideas of what they meant by the term Zionism were varied. These early Jewish thinkers had many different approaches to the concept and their own philosophies, politics, lifestyles, and theological views influenced by their “brand” of Zionism.

There is still much diversity in Israeli and Diaspora society today in views of what Zionism means, can mean, and should mean. In this brief course we will look at a variety of Zionisms, including Political Zionism, Labor Zionism, Revisionist Zionism, Diaspora Zionism, Religious Zionism, and Christian Zionism. We will read quotes from major thinkers in each of these types of Zionism and then see which one’s participants identify with most closely. We will discuss how contemporary Americans – Jewish and non-Jewish – can make space for variety of Zionisms.