The History of Zionism

There seems to be a new form of the ever-shifting shape of antisemitism that often hides behind the term anti-Zionism. It isn’t overtly directed at the Jewish people, but at the State of Israel instead, the Jew among the nations, born of the Zionist movement. Extrapolate just a tad and, voila, Jews – Israeli or not – who affirm the right of the State of Israel to exist are, themselves, labeled “Zionists” worthy of the same hatred.

The hateful accusations and libels that permeate this extreme form of anti-Zionism might be difficult for us to parse out. After all we, ourselves, might only have superficially learned about Jewish history growing up, and have only basic knowledge – if at all – about Zionism, its origins and development that led to the creation of the State of Israel. We might not know that Zionism itself isn’t a monolith but expresses through multiple forms. What are we to respond, then, when confronted with hateful generalizing libels?

Rabbi Olivier is inviting us to explore Zionism from a historical perspective so that we might better understand what it was and is today, feel more grounded in our own knowledge, and gain the tools necessary to better respond to the libelous attacks.

This entire course is offered free of charge with the expectation that open-hearted participants such as yourself will naturally want to generously support this unprecedented offering with their financial contribution(s). Thank you.
As a reference point, a 3-month course such as The History of Zionism would usually range between $270 and $370.

Below you will find the video recordings for each session of the course. Please note that this course was initially offered in the Spring of 2024. Beneath the video recording you will also find the Reading Materials that accompany each session of the course. Make sure to scroll down to download them after you watch each video:

Course Material