Blending an analysis of general political, diplomatic, and military trends with a description of how Zionist pioneers coped with ongoing social developments and challenges, Stein recounts the events that would ultimately lead to the formation of the State of Israel in May 1948. The study begins with the wave of Russian pogroms that erupted in 1882 and stimulated an interest in Jewish migration to Palestine. Stein proceeds to the experiences of the first batch of settlers as they established farms, fostered the rejuvenation of Hebrew, and coped with the local Arab population. He examines...

Fashioning a working political structure in Israel that will bring together all aspects of society, from Jews to Arabs, ultra-Orthodox to assertively secular, has never been easy. However, two developments have intensified this challenge: demographic changes have sharpened the differences between the groups; and open challenges of legitimacy have undermined the previous "de facto" acceptance of pluralism. There has been no strong civic framework of Israeliness to replace Zionism as a shared identity that would override more parochial identities and interests. Added to these pressures are...

Issues of continuity, survival, and identity have generated apparently unending debates throughout the Jewish world for centuries. While similar issues arise in all Jewish communities, there are significant differences between them. This collection was designed to highlight differences as well as similarities by devoting a chapter to each of seven countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In four communities-those in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States-debates about continuity are mainly...

Blending an analysis of general political, diplomatic, and military trends with a description of how Zionist pioneers coped with ongoing social developments and challenges, Stein recounts the events that would ultimately lead to the formation of the State of Israel in May 1948. The study begins with the wave of Russian pogroms that erupted in 1882 and stimulated an interest in Jewish migration to Palestine. Stein proceeds to the experiences of the first batch of settlers as they established farms, fostered the rejuvenation of Hebrew, and coped with the local Arab population. He examines...

This is the story of a tragic confrontation between two national movements contesting the same small piece of land, a clash that has become one of the most intractable issues in modern times. From the establishment of the first Zionist colonies in the 1880s, tensions have run high between the indigenous Arab population of Palestine and Jews who have sought to create an independent state on land they consider their ancient home. Clashes, both internal and external, have become increasingly violent. Since the first full-scale Palestinian Revolt in 1936, relations have, except for a few brief...

The murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust is a crime that has had a lasting and massive impact on our time. Despite the immense, ever-increasing body of Holocaust literature and representation, no single interpretation can provide definitive answers. Shaped by different historical experiences, political and national interests, our approximations of the Holocaust remain elusive. Holocaust responses--past, present, and future--reflect our changing understanding of history and the shifting landscapes of memory. This book takes stock of the attempts within and across nations to come...