Essay Example on Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai: Father of Zionism and Unifier of Jews

Introduction

Zionism is an international movement that is driven by the notion and idea that Judaism is a nationality as well as a religion, and they believed they deserved their ancient Holy Land for the Jewish nation. The Zionist ideology united all the Jews around the world, which later led to the establishment of the current Israeli state.

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RABBI YEHUDA ALKALAI

Yehuda Alkalai was born and brought up in the Middle East to a spiritual leader Shlomo Alkalai in the year 1798 (Hertzberg 103). Alkalai spends most of his time with the cabalists, who were Israeli religious leaders at the time. The period under his boyhood with the cabalists could be the one that shaped his firm beliefs in an Israeli nation and her people. It was at this time when Greece had just won her independence. Other countries, including Serbia, were rising to fight against their rule, Turkey. The revolutionary war at that time shaped Alkalai's mind in starting to believe in the Jewish redemption and formation of the Israeli nation. In the year 1934, Alkalai began his writing, which led to the birth of the Zionist movement, to start Jewish redemption. The Zionist views mainly manifest in his written work, which proposed the establishment of Jewish colonies in the Holy land.

EXPLAINING WHY THE INDIVIDUAL IS AND WHY THEY ARE IN THE BOOK

While analyzing the text 'The Zionist Idea,' Alkalai emerges to be one of the notable figures, because, without him, the Zionist movement could not have started or even been there in the first place. Alkalai lived at a time when the Jewish people had been dispersed all over the world. At this time, most of the Jewish people believed that the Messiah could come back and be their redeemer. However, through Alkalai's writing, people's minds were changed, and they started to believe in Zionism. Alkalai, therefore, becomes a notable figure in the book, 'The Zionist Idea' since he was the pioneer and the father of Zionist ideologies, which later manifest through the Zionist movement. Alkalai lays down the concepts, steps, and actions all the Jewish around the world ought to have taken to be able to gain liberation of their ancestral and promised land.

In this regard, Alkalai realized that for the Jewish people to get back their ancient land, they needed to purchase the ground, just the say way Jacob bought a piece of land at Shechem. Buying land was a difficult task considering the Jewish state of being in exile with no financial muscle. Realizing this, Alkalai became smart and started writing and meeting other European leaders whom he regarded as the people who would save them with the kind of finances they required. Alkalai was the guiding light for the Jewish people since when one looks at his writings, he mentions the return of the Jewish people to the Holy land in thousands. However, he emphasized that before the Jewish returns to the Holy Land in thousands, they had to return to the Holy land as individuals first. He was implying that the Jewish people had to sanctify themselves first and become Holy before they could return to the Holy ground in thousands.

Alkalai also depicts a notion of Jewish leadership since he recognizes that no nation can survive without having somebody lead it. He emphasized that the Jewish redemption realization will come if the Jewish unite and choose leaders who will guide them. It is imperative to note that Alkalai was a noble leader with integrity since he emphasized that those elected leaders who will be chosen should be leaders with high moral values, and they should be men of wisdom. He much stressed that only through sound leadership, will the Jewish people be united.

Additionally, Alkalai, in his writing, showed he was a uniting factor since he started advocating for the formation of an international movement that will unite all the Jewish people around the world. The Zionist movement emphasized that all the Jewish worldwide were to merge all the Jewish descendants. Further, in a bid to join people, He cautioned people against speaking in a foreign language since this could hamper any effort in bringing people together. It is so because with each person speaking a foreign language, it proved to be impossible for them to understand each other. Alkalai states that with each Jew speaking a foreign language, the people would not be able to talk to each other, and such a divided community can never succeed.

It is also important to note that Alkalai emphasized the spiritual purity and observance of the Holy teaching of the Almighty God alone. He observed that all the Jewish should only be faithful and loyal to their God alone. And they should strictly obey and follow God's law, which included leaving the land fallow during the seventh year. Therefore as such, Alkalai is the pioneer, the foundation, and the guiding light to the Zionist ideologies; without him, the Zionist ideologies probably could not have been formed.

THEIR DEFINITION OF ZIONISM, AND HOW DOES IT RESEMBLE OR DIFFER FROM THE CONVENTIONAL IDEA?

Alkalai's definition of Zionism is that Israeli redemption shall be achieved by man and through men who leave here on earth. The men to bring redemption would do this through uniting, observance of religious teaching, and choosing good leaders to propagate the agenda. Zionist ideology was contrary to the conventional belief since people knew Messiah was the only redeemer who could have liberated the Jewish people. Most people, therefore, were still leaving and waiting for the second coming of the Messiah.

EXPLAIN THE INDIVIDUAL'S VIEWS AND DISCUSS WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM OR NOT

Alkalai emphasized the idea of uniting all the Jewish people around the world through the formation of an international movement. The idea was further emphasized by cautioning people to refrain from speaking a foreign language, and focus on their own since that is the uniting factor. Looking at that point objectively, it suffices to say that, that was a good idea. The identity of the modern Israeli nation emanated on the concept of uniting all the Jews. The process of joining all the Jews contributed to the preservation of Israeli culture, values and believed in God. Additionally, the unity of all the Jewish people worldwide has contributed to the success of the modern Israeli nation we have today, making it one of the most powerful nations around the world. However, it is essential to know that focusing so much on speaking a country's local language can sometimes leave you behind on the global market since one cannot communicate with the outside world.

Alkalai further emphasized on choosing leaders to unite all people. This view is subjective, depending on the school of thought. The idea of selecting leaders is individualist because sometimes leaders can join people through sharing people's pain and suffering. In addition to that, good leaders usually give a clear sense of direction and vision to their subjects. However, it is also important to note that sometimes leaders can be chosen who do not share the ideology or interest of the person who started a particular course of action in history. Such kind of a leader derails the whole process of liberation.

In his writing, Alkalai spends a reasonable amount of time with leaders of foreign nationals to seek a workable solution of redemption of the Jewish people to regain their ancient Holy Land. In as much as the idea looked ideal at a time, it does not seem to be the best of action when analyzed objectively. By the virtue that Alkalai was advocating for a pure Jewish race to regain their ancient land, this idea alone could not have sounded so well to the world leaders who were willing to offer financial support. The world leaders could have been shy in financially assisting a purely segregated Jewish community alone.

One of the notable individual views of Alkalai was choosing of leaders with a high level of integrity and wisdom. Honesty is essential not only to the Jewish nation but also to any country around the world. History and experience have proven that those countries which have leaders who have integrity and high moral values have thrived and succeed. Honesty should be the guiding light for everyone, not only leaders but their subjects as well. And finally, the other views Alkalai focused on were the observance and practice of God's teachings. Spirituality is a good thing since it makes an individual holistic, and observe high moral values in the society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Alkalai started his ideology of Jewish redemption, bypassing his message through writings. It is through his beliefs that Zionism was formed, which led to the Zionists movement and the Jewish Israeli nation in existence today. Some of Alkalai's message that can apply to any society around the world is the teaching on unity, choosing leaders with wisdom and integrity, and exercising self-moral values. Finally, an individual needs to practice spirituality since it makes an individual a holistic being.

Work cited

Hertzberg, Arthur. The Zionist Idea. Greenwood Press, 1970. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=UgRQAsk0CK4C&pg=PA272&lpg=PA272&dq=The+Zionist+Idea.+Greenwood+Press&source=bl&ots=Fu3-i4N2yw&sig=ACfU3U2qbogeWgx1meQzlCXt-GM8EHz6AQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwilma28qcXoAhUcZxUIHeGtA9oQ6AEwCXoECAsQOA#v=onepage&q=The%20Zionist%20Idea.%20Greenwood%20Press&f=false