Louis Brandies And American Zionism Movement

For American Jews, the early 20 th century is an important turning point. During this period, most of them began to move out of sweatshops, received education, and became the middle class in American society by their striving, therefore had the ability to care and help the world's Jews. Influenced by anti-Semitism, self-emancipation idea of European Jewry spread into American Jews. Zionist movement began to emerge and develop in the United States. At that time different interest groups and different Jewish sects held different positions on Zionism, however, under the appeal and leadership of Louis Brandeis, the prominent Jewish community leader, Zionism flourishes in the United States and gains mainstream status increasingly.Brandeis did not accept Zionism movement in his early years. When engaged in attorney work in Boston city, Brandeis had some contacts with Jewish employer on legal matters, and got to Zionism ideas of lower class of Jewish immigrants. Under Zionism disseminator Horace De Kellan' and De Haas' influence, Brandeis gradually joined the camp of Zionism. In 1914, the outbreak of the First World War made the world Zionism Organization in crisis, and its headquarter and branches in Europe was dismissed and transferred to the United States. Because of Brandeis' outstanding reputation in American society, his upright legal quality, his participation into the American Progressive Movement and his good relationship with American political elites, he was elected as the chairman of Interim Committee of American Zionism.As an American Jewish leader, Brandeis has strong Jewish nationalist feelings, and he was committed to defending Jewish interests, attacking anti-Semitism and supporting for Zionism movement. Brandeis believes that American Jews has both major responsibilities to Jewish fates in the world, and the obligation to help supporting Zionism movement. Based on the practical condition of American society, He proposed some unique insights on American Zionism which had a significant impact on world Zionist movement. In Brandeis' opinion, American Zionism is a combination between American values and Jewish cultural traditions, in which modern elements, such as Freedom, equality, democracy, is integrated into Zionism. The concepts of freedom and equality require world Jews in Diaspora have rights to realize national survival and development. Meanwhile, facing the challenge of American culture, American Jews have the right and obligation to keep Jewish national identities. Zionism can wake up the American Jewish national consciousness, improve American Jewish morality and patriotism, and resist increasingly development of anti-Semitism in 1920 s and 1930 s.Brandeis made the great contribution to enriching the Zionism thoughts. He thought American Jews have obligations for the world Zionism movement. American Zionism movement should be committed to both protect the world Jewry interests and support Jewish immigration to Palestine, and took liberty, equality, democracy, pluralism and other American value into the movement. Brandeis developed double loyalty ideology, that is, “loyalty to the United States " and " loyalty to the Jewish national cause. He thought there is no contradiction between Americanization and Zionism, and supporting Zionism does not affect that “a Jew becomes a good American”, and Americanization does not have affect Jewish loyalty to Zionism, which in return infuses the new dynamic and vitality into Zionism movement, promotes Zionism's development towards more healthy direction.After 1914, Brandeis became the leader of Zionism movement. He advocated Zionism through public media. He made tour lectures around the whole country to gain the support and donations from common people, which attracted more and more American Jews to join the Zionist organizations. In addition, Brandeis attended President Wilson's diplomatic activities, supported President Wilson to participate into the First World War for relieving the suffering of European Jews and protecting Jewish interests in World War I, and made important efforts for publishing the Balfour Declaration. Brandeis also kept close concern on Palestinian Jews, criticized British colonialism policy, supported the European Jewish immigrants into Palestinian, and called and fought for legal status of Palestinian Jews.In a word, as a landmark figure in American Jewish history, Brandeis improved American Jewry's social and economical status by his political prestige and influence. His Zionism thoughts and practice advanced American Zionism movement, and left great treasure for world Zionism.