Dvi ideologijos - vienas judėjimas : sionistinis socializmas nepriklausomoje Lietuvoje

Abstract

The article analyses the left-wing of Zionism - Socialist Zionism, the activities of its organizations, its weight in the political and social life, and the influence upon the Jewish community in Lithuania between the two World wars, according to documents, the organizations' ideological booklets, pamphlets and historical works on the Lithuanian Jewish history. For Zionist socialists, the postulates of social ism, which declared the economical and social liberation, and the ideals of Zionism, which proclaimed the national liberation, did not contradict each other. Each was the goal in itself and the means to reach this goal. Equally, the Socialist Zionism offered the way for the supporters of the social revolution to seek their ideals not refusing their own national identity. Being part of the World Zionist movement, Zionist socialists in Lithuania kept the common political line and attempted to realize the ideals of the movement in their practical work. The first supporter of Socialist Zionism after World War I was "Ceirei-Cion" movement, which attempted to unify in its organizations the masses of the Jewish labour. It adumbrated the landmarks of the activity, which was common for the whole left wing of Zionism in the interwar Lithuania. Their activity was concentrated on the cultural-educational work, establishing schools and libraries, improving the life of Jewish workers, establishing credit cooperatives, trade-unions, and preparing groups of members of the organization for emigration to Palestine. The contradictions among separate Zionist socialists' organizations were more technical than ideological in character. The "Hitachdut" organization represented the right camp of the left wing of Zionism and stood for Jewish salaried, while the rest Zionist socialists' organizations oriented them selves to Jewish labour and trade people, had contacts with the Lithuanian social democrats and the Marxist "Poalei Cion", representing the left camp. The Zionist socialists were confident defenders of the Jewish national autonomy in Lithuania. They had their representatives in all organs of local and state authorities, caring about the final aims of the Zionist movement and defending Jewish political, national and civil rights in the first Republic of Lithuania. Like other Zionist parties and organizations, Zionist socialists published their own newspapers. Some time during interwar period the semi-official newspapers of the Socialist Zionism were "Un zer Vort", "Unzer Veg", "Di Cait", and "Dos Vort". The other important range of Socialist Zionism activity was patronizing of the "Hechalutz" move ment, which was very popular among the Jewish youth. The particularity of the movement was the preparation of young people to live in Palestine, training them spiritually, ideologically, physically, and professionally (abilities to work on a farm). The Socialist Zionist movement had its political opponents and confederates. Traditionally, one of the opponents of the whole Zionist movement was the Folkist-Yiddishist trend. And numerous ideological speeches were made with the aim to sepa rate the two. The greatest potential creative energy was lost in the political fight with Zionists revisionists. Zionist socialists had positive and practical relations with the Lithuanian Social Democrats. The fact that Socialist Zionism had a great support in the Lithuanian Jewish community was influenced by a whole complex of reasons, specifically external ones, such as the decrement of the economical positions, restrictions of immigration to Palestine, the United States of America and other countries.