Zionism as Revolution: Looking at the thought and writings of Aharon David Gordon

A.D. Gordon was an inspirational leader and teacher among the pioneers of the Second Aliyah to the Land of Israel at the beginning of the 20th century. We will explore a number of his ideas including what it means for the Jewish people to exemplify “humane peoplehood,” the importance of a return to nature and the building of communities with environmental sensitivity, symbiosis between the transformation of the Jewish people in the land of Israel and that in the Diaspora, as well as the importance of realization through productivity and the revitalization of the Hebrew language.

Rabbi David Gedzelman is President & CEO of The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, which is dedicated to revitalizing Jewish identity through educational and cultural initiatives as well as to advocating for and supporting Hebrew and Jewish literacy among the general population. He has spearheaded the development of numerous initiatives including Hebrew language public charter schools, the Kayitz Kef Hebrew at Camp Program, OneTable, the School of Hebrew at Middlebury College, and the Consortium for the Teaching of Hebrew Language and Culture at Brandeis University. He writes and teaches about the Idea of the Jewish People and Zionist thought. He sits on the boards of the American Friends of Pardes, OneTable, and Yaffed and is a delegate on the Jewish Future Slate for the 39th World Zionist Congress. Rabbi Gedzelman lives in Harlem, New York City, with his wife Judith Turner and their three children, Nomi, Anina and Ziv.