Designing a Homeland: Birobidjan, Zionism, and Jewish Identity under the Soviet Union
Journal: cumhuriyet ilahiyat dergisi
Year: 2025

Jewish nationalism, which emerged in parallel with the nationalist movements of 19th century Europe, developed both as a reaction to and as a product of modern political ideologies. While influenced by the European concept of the nation-state, Zionism—the dominant current within Jewish nationalism—was distinctly shaped by religious memory and historical consciousness. Central to Zionist thought was the aspiration to return to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), a notion rooted in sacred Jewish t