The Golden Land and the Holy Land: American Jewry and the Yishuv in the Late Ottoman Period sheds new light on the relationship between these two Jewish communities in the early decades of Zionism.In the mid-nineteenth century, Jewish immigration to the United States intensified, creating a new alternative to Erets Yisrael as the Promised Land. Yet the beginning of Zionist activity in the United States inspired an important change in American Jewish attitudes toward Erets Yisrael and activities on behalf of the community across the ocean. American Jews helped lay foundations for scientific advancements in Erets Yisrael in the fields of agriculture and health; they influenced the decision in favor of Hebrew over German in the "language war" in the Yishuv's educational institutions; and they aspired to change the nature of financial assistance from the chalukah charity system to productive philanthropy. The crowning achievement of American Jewish involvement in Erets Yisrael was its contribution to the Yishuv’s physical survival during World War I and the diplomatic processes leading up to the Balfour Declaration.Table of ContentsForeword by President Isaac Herzog ixPreface xiIntroduction xv
PART I
THE PERCEPTION OF ERETS YISRAEL IN THE AMERICAN SPHEREChapter 1:Erets Yisrael in the Perception of American Jewry page 3Chapter 2:Visits of American Jewish Leaders to Erets Yisrael, 1901–1914 page 51Chapter 3American Jewry and Yishuv Issues page 123Chapter 4From Chalukah to Philanthropy – A New Approach page 173
PART II
INVOLVEMENT AND ACTIVITIES OF AMERICAN JEWS IN ERETS YISRAELChapter 5The Jewish Agricultural Experiment Station in Atlit page 209Chapter page 6American Jewish Support for the Health System inErets Yisrael page 265Chapter 7American Jews and the Language War in Erets Yisrael page 301Chapter 8American Jewry’s View of Erets Yisrael duringWorld War I page 341Epilogue page 397AppendixBrandeis’s Visit to Erets Yisrael, July 1919 page 415Bibliography page 421Index page 439