I decided to post an essay I wrote in 2020, following an exchange that I witnessed in a synagogue that I found disturbing. Because of the higher stakes in the debate on Zionism, its definition, and how we should view it, I decided now is a good time to revisit that episode. Sadly, it’s only gotten worse.

We all know what Zionism isn’t: it’s not racism. Most Jews would clearly bristle at the suggestion that Zionism equals racism. But the absence of a negative is not always a positive. As a strong Zionist myself, I just assumed that nearly all Jews would include themselves in the warm embrace of Zionism (as opposed to the “collectivism” that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is promoting). I was wrong.

Recently I attended services at a reform congregation. The rabbi decided that she would try an original way to attract their attention and lead them into the topic of her sermon. 

“I want you to stand if you belong to any of the following categories. You can belong to several or none. This isn’t a test,” she announced.

She then started reeling off several broad categories, such as human, man, woman, child, teen, black, white, Jewish. Many stood for several categories and we were all eager to see where this was heading. 

“How many of you are feminists?”

The entire congregation leaped to their feet.

“Ok, how many of you are Zionists?”

I stood up expecting that everyone else would join me.

But when I looked around, I was shocked and dismayed that only a handful of people stood up.

A non-Jewish girl attending at the pre Bat Mitzvah service whispered to me, “What’s a Zionist?”

I explained that it simply means somebody who supports the........

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