33:01
Episode 2·Apr 26, 2023
The Beginnings of Modern Jewish Nationalism, 1807-1895
Dr. Polisar explores how the Jews revived the Hebrew language, developed the Zionist idea, and began to resettle the land beginning in the early 19th century.
Building the Impossible Dream: The History of Zionism·Episode 1·Apr 6, 2023
The Impossible Dream of Founding a Jewish State in Modern Times
In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte brought about the convening of a Sanhedrin—the supreme decision-making body of the Jewish people—which declared that the Jews possessed a shared religion but were no longer a nation with political aspirations. Coming after nearly two millennia of Exile, this proclamation seemed to signal the end of the age-old dream of re-establishing a Jewish state. Yet a century and a half later Israel was established as the national state of the Jewish people and today it is a robust democracy, an economic success story, a regional powerhouse, and a leading actor on the world stage. In the first episode, Dr. Polisar lays out the main puzzle this podcast will address: How did the Jews overcome seemingly impossible odds to establish a state whose accomplishments are routinely described as miraculous by even the most secular of people?
More From Building the Impossible Dream: The History of Zionism
35:19Episode 3·Apr 26, 2023
Theodor Herzl and Launching the Zionist Movement, 1895-1904
How Theodor Herzl became Zionism's chief diplomat, institution-builder, and ideological visionary.
34:07Episode 4·Apr 26, 2023
The Jewish Homeland in the Making, 1904-1918
Efforts to move to the Land of Israel and build a state accelerate just as Zionist diplomacy pays off with the Balfour Declaration.
33:15Episode 5·Apr 26, 2023
The Arabs Attack, the British Retreat, and the Jews Keep Building, 1918-1939
Arabs escalate violence against Jews as the British try to appease them. Meanwhile, Jews build the institutions that could serve as the nucleus for their state.
