Religious Zionism

Dov Schwartz is The Natali and Isidor Friedman Chair on “Teaching the Writings of Joseph Dov Soloveitchik” at Bar-Ilan University. He is the author of Religion or Halakhah? The Philosophy of Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik, 2007; Central Problems of Medieval Jewish Philosophy, 2005; Studies on Astral Magic in Medieval Jewish Philosophy, 2005; and others.

"This small book is a concise yet successful introduction into the history and worldview of religious Zionism. Schwartz begins his story in 1902, with the founding of the Mizrahi movement and its revolutionary "activism of pioneering and political variety foreign to the existing Torah world." The majority of the work is dedicated to the movement before 1948 and Israel's early years. When Schwartz does discuss more recent phenomenon, he tries to highlight how these represent shifts from classic religious Zionist belief. The chapters are short and accessible, and will serve lay readers well to get a valuable introduction into early religious Zionism. Those looking for more thorough or detailed studies, however, would be better served by more classic academic works by Schwartz and others. This is a valuable contribution to the growing literature in English on religious Zionism."

• Preface. Chapter One. A Revolutionary Consciousness. Chapter Two. Rabbi Reines and the Foundation of the Mizrachi. Chapter Three. Religious-Zionist Education: Beginnings. Chapter Four. Rav Kook: An Orthodox-National Alternative to Religious-Zionism. Chapter Five. The Foundation of the Chief Rabbinate. Chapter Six. Ha-Po‘el ha-Mizrachi: Against the Exile and the Bourgeoisie. Chapter Seven. Criticizing Zionist Policy. Chapter Eight. The Settlement Drive. Chapter Nine. Religious-Zionism and the Holocaust. Chapter Ten. Israel’s First Years: Hopes and Disappointments. Chapter Eleven. From Rearguard to Vanguard: The Struggle for Greater Israel. Chapter Twelve. Religious-Zionism in the United States. Chapter Thirteen. Religious-Zionism: Present and Future. Bibliography. Index of Names. Index of Subjects.