Introduction

The term “Jewish internationalism” is a historical reference to the mainly French and British Diaspora Jewry's international activities regarding other Jewish communities in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Nevertheless, remnants of Jewish internationalism continue to influence Diaspora life. The activities of the Joint Distribution Committee represent one ongoing legacy of Jewish internationalism, and the AIU (Alliance Israélite Universelle) is still active. A connection with other Jewish communities, and coming to their aid, has been an ongoing part of Diaspora life. As Arnold Eisen demonstrates, Diaspora has for most of Jewish history been the spatial focus of Jewish life and Jewish identity, and thus it is not surprising that Diaspora Jews have supported each other. The creation of Israel, however, changed this focus. Jewish internationalism was forced to adapt to changing geopolitical contexts, especially with the simultaneous rise of both Zionism in Palestine and fascism in Europe.

These changes meant that internationalist-minded Jews had to make a choice. Act to help save Jewish communities in Europe or choose to support the Zionist mission. The two positions were ideologically incommensurable, and Jewish communities today remain faced with the challenge of how to mediate their Diasporic identity with the significance and successes of Israel. To be a Jewish internationalist today is something of a non sequitur in the age of Israel, when any internationalist Jewish activities ostensibly ought to flow into supporting the Jewish homeland, and if Jews in the Diaspora do need assistance, Israel, as the new center of Jewish life, culture and politics, ought to help them. The Israelization of Jewish identity has had a profound impact on the potential for Jewish internationalism. One of the few remaining examples of a Diaspora-focused internationalism is the American Jewish World Service.