Ahad Ha’am
(1856 - 1927)
Ahad Ha'am, the pen name of Asher Ginsberg, was one of the central literar figures of Zionism.
Born in Skvira, near Kiev in the Ukraine, Asher Ginsberg became
the central figure in the movement for Cultural
or Spiritual Zionism. Although
raised in a hasidic family, Ahad Ha’am was soon exposed to
secular studies. The impact of modern philosophy and the sciences
led him to abandon his religious faith and observance. Nonetheless
he remained deeply committed to the Jewish people. It was his
attempt to find a synthesis between Judaism and European philosophy.
He joined the Hovevei Zion Movement but he soon became a severe
critic of its settlement activities preferring instead cultural
work for a Jewish regeneration. He established the elitist Bnei
Moshe, a sort of secret society which he proposed should focus
on transforming the Hovevei Zion group into a movement for the
Hebrew language and cultural revival.
His visits to Eretz-Israel in 1891 and 1892 convinced him
that the Zionist movement would face an uphill struggle in its
attempt to create a Jewish National Home. In particular he warned
of the difficulties associated with land purchase and cultivation,
the problems with the Turkish authorities and the impending conflict
with the Arabs. He criticized Herzl for his quasimessianic
schemes and warned of the disillusionment that would follow Herzl’s
failure.
Ahad Ha’am believed that the creation in Eretz-Israel
of a Jewish cultural center would act to reinforce Jewish life
in the Diaspora. His hope was that in this center a new Jewish
national identity based on Jewish ethics and values might resolve
the crisis of Judaism.
Ahad Ha’am influenced a generation of young Zionists, most
particularly in Eastern Europe that included Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Chaim Weizmann, and Micha Josef
Berdyczewski. Although he moved
to London in 1907 to serve as the agent for the Wissotzky tea
company, he continued his Zionist work, playing a part in the
securing of the The Balfour Declaration. In 1922, he arrived in Eretz-Israel
to spend the last five years of his life in Tel Aviv.
See the
complete texts of the following works:
The Wrong Way
Anticipations
and Survivals
The Jewish
State and Jewish Problem
Sources: The Jewish Agency for Israel and The World Zionist Organization |