with David Newman OBE and Colin Shindler
With the birth of modern Zionism, the concept of Jewish nationhood surfaced for the first time in a few millennia, and has since re-shaped Judaism beyond recognition. The Zionist movement initially faced widespread distrust, but over the course of time, succeeded in gaining virtually universal endorsement, particularly since the Shoah. And yet the questions posed by Israel’s emergence remain: how to reconcile Jewish nationalist aspirations with universalism? How to balance the secular with the sacred? Belief in God’s providence with human endeavour? Justice for Jews with the rights of the Arabs?
This event, featuring two leading experts, explores the fragmentation of Judaism since the haskalah and the birth of modern Zionism, with a particular focus on the development of religious Zionism and its relationship to the Land of Israel before and after the 1967 War. We will discover how the religious narrative over the Holy Land has changed over time, whether the concepts of ” Adam” and “Adamah” complement or clash, and how they impact the politics of religious Zionism.
This important event, close to Yom Ha’atzmaut, will take place at our usual Central Square Minyan Hall on Thursday 11th May at 8.00 pm. Admission: £10.00.