Zionism

Zionism was never only for creating a safe haven for Jews in need, though indeed this has always been a leitmotif of our organization. It has always been a worldview as well, a unique conception of Jewish people-hood, and a dream of creating in Zion a society that would indeed become a light unto the nations. The Zionist idea, then, is as vital today as it has ever been.

It is still about the ingathering of the Jewish people, promoting Israel as the most fulfilling and meaningful place to live as a Jew, acting on our pledge to the continuity of the Jewish people and the mutual responsibility Jews have for one another the world over, striving to be masters of our own fate and shapers of our common destiny, and consciously fashioning an exemplary Jewish society as an essential aspect of the return to the land of our forebears.

It is also about commitment, sacrifice and pioneering – sometimes to the point of subjugating one’s personal needs to the greater interests of the collective. It is about transforming these clichés into lifestyle, involving as many Jews as possible in grappling with these ideas, and imbuing them with this sense of purpose.”

(Dr David Breakstone, Head of the Department for Zionist Activities, World Zionist Organisation)