Within the religious and political elite, some continued to favor assimilation and political engagement in Europe while others, such as Theodore Herzl, proposed the advancement of a separate Jewish state and the Zionist cause.
Di kalangan elit agama dan politik, beberapa pihak terus mendukung asimilasi dan keterlibatan politik di Eropa, sedangkan pihak lainnya seperti Theodore Herzl mendukung pembentukan negara Yahudi khusus dan perjuangan Zionis.