Rabbi Jonathan Kligler

This session brings our course to a close. Since the Six-Day War of 1967 the mantle of the Zionist "pioneering spirit" has gradually passed from the Socialist Zionism of the founders to the Religious Zionists and "Greater Israel" nationalist Zionists of the present. Meanwhile, in much of the international arena, "Zionism" has become an epithet, and a modern means of blaming the Jews for global problems. This is a new form of antisemitism. Zionism succeeded beyond its founders wildest dreams in terms of creating a national homeland for Jews scattered all over the world. But Zionism failed to achieve its other intended goal: to solve the "Jewish Problem", that is, antisemitism. (Pease note that the last 15 minutes or so of this recording various class members are speaking, and it may be hard to hear all of their comments.)