Jewish Autonomism

Jewish Autonomism was a non-Zionist political movement that emerged in late 19th / early 20th century in Eastern Europe in appearance. One of their most important representative was the historian and activist Simon Dubnow.

The autonomists believed that the future survival of the Jews as a people depended on its spiritual and cultural force; they advocated a " spiritual nationality", in which the diaspora is to develop a self-government of the Jewish communities, and rejected assimilation.

Different visions of Autonomism were adopted by the Folk Party, the sejmistischen and socialist Jewish parties, such as the Bund in fundamentals.

Some groups mixed the idea of ​​Autonomism with Zionism: They championed a Jewish self-government in the diaspora, until the Diaspora Jews aliyah competed in their national home in Zion.

After the Holocaust, the idea of ​​Autonomism virtually disappeared from the Jewish philosophy. Simon Dubnow was murdered in 1941 with thousands of Jews in Rumbula.