38 Comments
тна Return to thread

in addition to bundists and other leftists, who were quite numerous, i was thinking of people we would now call haredim.

Expand full comment

How numerous, Peter? Let's see some facts and figures.

Expand full comment

Most Ashkenazi Jews lived in the Pale. And most were not politically active, no matter how many bundists you think there were (at their height there were maybe 40,000 Bundists, out of how many millions of Jews in the Pale?). Other Leftists were not automatically anti-Zionist. Indeed, many settled in Israel & started kibbutzim. WRT the Haredim - anti Zionist in theory, quite happy to live in Israel & be supported by the state in practice. Not a strong reed upon which to base an argument.

In any case my point about their rationale for anti Zionism, whatever it may have been, being superseded by the Shoah stands. I doubt many Jews on trains East were fervent anti Zionists.

Expand full comment