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Make Room for Dreams examines Zionism from both a philosophical and practical point of view. This in-depth study reviews and evaluates the notion that Zionism has become a way of enlisting political or economic support for Israel and is no longer seen as a movement that should seek ways to realize humane or spiritual goals. The discussion focuses on the concept of Zionism as the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, a return that must be accompanied by a changing of certain basic attitudes concerning the Jews' mode of being-in-the-world. The manner of blending existentialism with political thought is seen in relation to the Biblical experience, and it is shown that Zionist challenges must draw their sustenance from the ability to read the Bible with existential and political awareness.
It presents five specific challenges for Zionism in Israel, citing concrete examples from life in Israel, and some examples from the history of Zionism. The current situation is also described, and precise determinations for responding to the challenges are woven into each chapter. Also included is a thought-provoking summary of the manner in which a more authentic Jewish existence can be lived in Israel. This scholarly work is the first to deal with the complex issues behind the Zionist movement in present-day Israel, and will provide a valuable resource for philosophers, political scientists, and students in Jewish studies.
About the author
HAIM GORDON is Professor of Education at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev-Israel. Professor Gordon has published extensively, his latest project is a Dictionary of Existentialism (Greenwood Press, 1999).
