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Debating Zionism is good for Jews, actually

JL;DR SUMMARY Noam Pianko explores the rich history of debate over Zionism at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), highlighting how this discourse has navigated the complexities of Jewish identity, nationalism, and statehood. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

ZionismDiasporaDavid Ben GurionJewish EthicsIsaac HerzogJewish Theological SeminaryAmerican JudaismJewish NationalismJewish StatehoodHatikvah

Places mentioned

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
"Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 11."
Israel
"Menachem Creditor, adding that the founders of JTS did not need to debate the necessity of Jewish self-determination, and that Herzog represents the state of Israel and the Jewish people."
Jerusalem, Israel
"Henrietta Szold, JTSs first female student, a central figure in its intellectual orbit, and the founder of Hadassah, similarly supported a binational vision from her new home in Jerusalem."
New York City, New York, United States
"Some students even arranged for the bells at nearby Union Theological Seminary to play Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, after JTS officials declined to include it in commencement."

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Cairo Item ID 81943
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-05-10 05:30:40 UTC
Curated 2026-05-10 08:30:54 UTC