Revolutionary identity and migration: the commemorative transnationalism of Bundist culture

Abstract

Historical research on the Bund traditionally focuses on its programme and practices in Eastern Europe. But the Bund emerged as one of the most important parties in Jewish history only in the age of mass migration. Many Bundists emigrated to the New World. This article asks for transfers of concepts and practices they made in this process of migration. By looking at the entanglements of the Bund in Eastern Europe with circles in the United States and Argentina it argues for a closer observation of the transnational relations between source and destination communities. Especially through their production and usage of memory and history, Bundists strongly contributed to the global presence of Jewish secularism through their distinct and influential practice of Yiddish culture.