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+--- Thread: Book Recommendation: Jabotinsky’s Children (/showthread.php?tid=1523)
Book Recommendation: Jabotinsky’s Children - Markdc - 01-02-2025
Have any of guys ever read Daniel Heller’s 2017 book Jabotinsky's Children: Polish Jews and the Rise of Right-Wing Zionism? I read it recently, and it is one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read on Jewish history. As the title suggests, Heller discusses the rapid growth of Zionist Revisionism and Betar, its youth movement, in Poland in the period between the world wars and the factors (such as the virulent anti-Semitism of Polish gentiles) that explain why that country was fertile ground for such growth.
One of the most striking things about this book is that, despite dealing with events and people from nearly a century ago, it is incredibly relevant for our own times. In recent years, there has been a rise of Populism and Nationalism (from Left and Right) around the world along with a corresponding rise of anti-Semitism which bears some similarities with these trends in the 1930’s. It’s impossible to read in Heller’s book about the attacks on Jewish students in Polish universities during this time and not be reminded of the attacks Jewish students have faced in America universities since the Oct. 7 massacre and the start of the recent Israel-Hamas War. Or to read about anti-Jewish riots in Poland and not be reminded of the recent synagogue shootings and anti-Jewish riots in Europe and North America.
So I urge all of you to read this book if you’re interested in the history of Zionism and Jews. Ze’ev Jabotinsky is my Jewish leader of modern times. During the interwar period, he warned Europe’s Jews of imminent catastrophe and urged them to get out and go to Palestine and create a Jewish state and meet violence with violence while many Jewish leaders in Europe called him an alarmist and a Fascist and even compared him to Mussolini and Hitler. But Jabotinsky was right then, and he is right now.
Mark
RE: Book Recommendation: Jabotinsky’s Children - searchinmyroots - 01-02-2025
Thank you Mark for your book recommendation and review.
I have not read or heard of the book myself but will look into it.
Maybe others here on the forum have heard of or read it.
RE: Book Recommendation: Jabotinsky’s Children - Markdc - 01-03-2025
You’re welcome, searchinmyroots. I gather this is not a well-known book.
Mark