Zionism, more than any other social and political movement in the modern era, has completely and fundamentally altered the self-image of the Jewish people and its relations with the non- Jewish world. As the dominant expression of Jewish nationalism, Zionism revolutionized the very concept of Jewish peoplehood, taking upon itself the transformation of the Jewish people from a minority into a majority, and from a diaspora community into a territorial one.

Bringing together for the first time the work of the most distinguished historians of Zionism and the Yishuv (pre-state Israeli society), many never before translated into English, this volume offers a comprehensive treatment of the history of Zionism. The contributions are diverse, examining such topics as the ideological development of the Jewish nationalist movement, Zionist trends in the Land of Israel, and relations between Jews, Arabs, and the British in Palestine. Contributors include: Jacob Katz, Shmuel Almog, Yosef Salmon, David Vital, Steven J. Zipperstein, Michael Heymann, Jonathan Frankel, George L. Berlin, Israel Oppenheim, Gershon Shaked, Joseph Heller, Hagit Lavsky, and Bernard Wasserstein.

Israel is a modern state whose institutions were clearly shaped by an ideological movement. The declaration of independence in 1948 was an immediate expression of the fundamental Zionist idea: it gave effect to a plan advocated by organized Zionists since the 1880s for solving the Jewish Problem. Thus, major Israeli political institutions, such as the party structure, embody principles and practices that were followed in the World Zionist Organization.
In this respect, Israel is similar to other new states whose political institutions directly derive from the nationalist movements that won their independence. History and social structure are inseparably joined; the contemporary social problems of the new state are clearly rooted in its history, while the shape of its future is being decided by the very policies through which it is trying to solve these problems. At the same time, there are many unique aspects to the birth of Israel. The problem to be solved by acquiring sovereignty in Israel (and establishing a free Jewish society there) was the problem of a people living in exile. The first stage, therefore, was to return to the people a homeland to which they were intimately attached, not only in their dreams but in the minute details of their ways of life.
This important book studies the birth of the State of Israel and analyzes the elaborately articulated and variegated ideological principles of the Zionist movement that led to that birth. It examines conflicting pre-state ideals and the social structure that emerged in Palestine's Jewish community during the Mandate period. In particular, Zionism and the Creation of a New Society reflects upon Israel's existence as both a state and a social structure--a place conceived before its birth as a means of solving a particular social malady: the modern Jewish Problem. Jehuda Reinharz and the late Ben Halpern carefully trace the development of the Zionist idea from its earliest expressions up to the eve of World War II, setting their study against a broad background of political and social development throughout Europe and the Middle East.

This study considers the question of how specific ideas about Jews are constructed and activated. At which point can a statement be regarded as anti-Semitic? The two authors examine the various verbal manifestations of current anti-Semitism and the mental images on which these are based, applying both a historical perspective and the perspective of linguistic and cognitive science.

"Provides a comprehensive treatment of the history of Zionism, one of the few great success stories in ideological movements, and movements of national liberation in the twentieth century. Few are more qualified to edit a volume on this subject than Anita Shapira and Jehuda Reinharz."
--Chaim Herzog, Former President of Israel

"The most comprehensive collection of articles on the history of Zionism, covering all its aspects, written by the leading experts in the field, a unique, indispensable work for all serious students of the subject."
--Walter Laqueur, author of A History of Zionism

Zionism, more than any other social and political movement in the modern era, has completely and fundamentally altered the self-image of the Jewish people and its relations with the non- Jewish world. As the dominant expression of Jewish nationalism, Zionism revolutionized the very concept of Jewish peoplehood, taking upon itself the transformation of the Jewish people from a minority into a majority, and from a diaspora community into a territorial one.

Bringing together for the first time the work of the most distinguished historians of Zionism and the Yishuv (pre-state Israeli society), many never before translated into English, this volume offers a comprehensive treatment of the history of Zionism. The contributions are diverse, examining such topics as the ideological development of the Jewish nationalist movement, Zionist trends in the Land of Israel, and relations between Jews, Arabs, and the British in Palestine. Contributors include: Jacob Katz, Shmuel Almog, Yosef Salmon, David Vital, Steven J. Zipperstein, Michael Heymann, Jonathan Frankel, George L. Berlin, Israel Oppenheim, Gershon Shaked, Joseph Heller, Hagit Lavsky, and Bernard Wasserstein.

Anti-Jewish sentiment and prejudice are not a fringe-group phenomenon. In recent years the inhibition threshold for expressing anti-Semitic content in public has become lower, with Israel often serving as a screen for projecting anti-Jewish sentiment. This anti-Semitism of the mainstream of society was the focus of an interdisciplinary symposium in 2009 at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The book contains the conference contributions, in which eminent experts on anti-Semitism such as Wolfgang Benz, Jehuda Reinharz and Martin Kloke analyse the phenomenon.

Seventeen scholars explore the interaction between a Jewish culture with its ancient heritage and an expansive German culture in the process of modernization.

A collection of 22 essays by distinguished scholars on the Jewish response to antisemitism worldwide over the past 200 years.

The first volume of Jehuda Reinharz's definitive biography of Chaim Weizmann, Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Zionist Leader, met with widespread acclaim and won five major prizes. President Chaim Herzog of Israel praised it for being "rich in fascinating detail, and never losing sight of the great issues involved." Howard Sachar, writing in The Washington Post Book World, called it "magisterial." And John Gross of The New York Times hailed it as an "admirable new life of Weizmann--easily the most authoritative so far." Now, in Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Statesman, Reinharz provides the long-awaited second volume.
This massively researched, deftly written narrative follows Weizmann's life from the beginning of the First World War through some of his greatest triumphs--the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the British Mandate for Palestine. Like the first volume, The Making of a Statesman combines intimate detail with incisive analysis. Reinharz untangles the internal politics of the World Zionist Organization as he charts Weizmann's rise to prominence. We see Weizmann struggling with fellow Zionists over his pro-British policies and his increasingly authoritarian leadership. We see him as a persuader and diplomat, a charming figure who could win influence in elite British circles without downplaying his Jewish identity or heritage. Reinharz offers fresh insights into Weizmann's brilliance as a chemist. No other historian has ever explained Weizmann's scientific accomplishments and their ties to his Zionist diplomacy. Reinharz follows the difficult negotiations that produced the triumphant Balfour Declaration. He carries the story through Weizmann's work in Palestine to found a vibrant Jewish community. Weizmann's largely unsuccessful efforts to open a friendly dialogue with the Arabs are also fully explored.
Chaim Weizmann was a towering figure of twentieth-century Zionism and the first president of the State of Israel. In every way, this monumental biography is worthy of this great statesman.

The first volume of Jehuda Reinharz's definitive biography of Chaim Weizmann, Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Zionist Leader, met with widespread acclaim and won five major prizes. President Chaim Herzog of Israel praised it for being "rich in fascinating detail, and never losing sight of the great issues involved." Howard Sachar, writing in The Washington Post Book World, called it "magisterial." And John Gross of The New York Times hailed it as an "admirable new life of Weizmann--easily the most authoritative so far." Now, in Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Statesman, Reinharz provides the long-awaited second volume.
This massively researched, deftly written narrative follows Weizmann's life from the beginning of the First World War through some of his greatest triumphs--the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the British Mandate for Palestine. Like the first volume, The Making of a Statesman combines intimate detail with incisive analysis. Reinharz untangles the internal politics of the World Zionist Organization as he charts Weizmann's rise to prominence. We see Weizmann struggling with fellow Zionists over his pro-British policies and his increasingly authoritarian leadership. We see him as a persuader and diplomat, a charming figure who could win influence in elite British circles without downplaying his Jewish identity or heritage. Reinharz offers fresh insights into Weizmann's brilliance as a chemist. No other historian has ever explained Weizmann's scientific accomplishments and their ties to his Zionist diplomacy. Reinharz follows the difficult negotiations that produced the triumphant Balfour Declaration. He carries the story through Weizmann's work in Palestine to found a vibrant Jewish community. Weizmann's largely unsuccessful efforts to open a friendly dialogue with the Arabs are also fully explored.
Chaim Weizmann was a towering figure of twentieth-century Zionism and the first president of the State of Israel. In every way, this monumental biography is worthy of this great statesman.