A commonly misunderstood term, Zionism, is the belief that Jews have a right to self-determination in the land of Israel.
For 4,000 years, Jews have longed to return to their homeland.
However, until Theodor Herzl, the goal of return has simply been a dream.
Born in Budapest in 1860, Herzl’s dedication to Zionism stemmed from exposure to anti-semitism.
Between violent incidents of antisemitism and the emergence of pogroms, Herzl realized that Jews could not rely on any government to protect them.
Click here to read the full article in The Times of Israel.
Contributed by 2018-2019 Brandeis University CAMERA Fellow Sarah Berkowitz.