Nachman Syrkin
Nachman Syrkin (born 11 Februarjul / February 23 1868greg in Mogilev, Russian Empire, .. † September 6, 1924 in New York) was the founder and leader of the Socialist Zionism ( such as the inventor of the collective settlements ) as well as a journalist and writer in Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, German and English.
Life
In 1884 his family went to Minsk, and Syrkin attended the Russian gymnasium. Soon he joined the Hovevei Zion and also had contacts with Russian revolutionary circles, was therefore imprisoned in 1888. After his release he went to London and Berlin, where he studied psychology and philosophy ( philosophical doctorate in 1903 in Bern ). In Berlin Syrkin had founded the Russian - Jewish academic society from whose center the second generation of Zionist leaders arose: Schmarjahu Levin, Leo Motzkin, Chaim Weizmann and others.
At the first Zionist Congress, he distinguished himself as leader of the Socialist Zionists and supported the idea of the Jewish National Fund, which was first formulated by Hermann Schapira (already at the Katowice Conference in 1884 and again at the first Congress ). At the Second Zionist Congress ( August 1898, Basel ), it was enough for a resolution. The third Congress ( August 1899 Basel) he laid again represent his views on socialist Zionism, namely the assumption that the problem of the Jews of the Diaspora will remain even after the Socialist Revolution unresolved. The only solution to the Jewish existence is the immigration and focusing on a territory.
Syrkin was exiled from Germany in 1904, went to Paris and returned after the revolution of 1905 returned to Russia to continue to argue for the idea of socialist Zionism. In 1907 he emigrated to America, Poale Zion movement joined and became involved again in the Zionist Organization. Until his death he was the leader of the American Poale Zion.
1919 belonged to the Syrkin American Jewish delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference and also played a leading role in taking place during the same year the Stockholm meeting of the Poale Zion.
His desire to go to Eretz Israel, was no longer true. He suddenly and unexpectedly died of a heart attack. In 1951, twenty seven years after his death, his remains were buried in Kibbutz Kinneret along with other Zionist leaders of the Jewish labor movement.
Marie Syrkin (1899-1989), author, Jewish educator, poet, journalist, editor and Zionist leader in America, close friend of Golda Meir, whose biography she wrote, was the daughter of Nachman Syrkin. They also published the memoirs of her father.
Kfar Sirkin or Kefar Syrkin (Hebrew: כפר סירקין ) near Petach Tikva is named after Nachman Syrkin (founded in 1933).
Position
Syrkin was a critical and independent spirit, which clashes with almost every Zionist direction as well as in his own camp - eg Ber Borochov with - had. He lived Jewish religiosity, without coming into conflict with his "worldly" goals and ideals.