Zionism: An Emotional State
Derek J. PenslarZionism: An Emotional State expertly demonstrates how the energy propelling the Zionist project originates from bundles of feeling whose elements have varied in volume, intensity, & durability across space & time. Beginning with an original typology of Zionism & a new take on its relationship to colonialism, Penslar then examines the emotions that have shaped Zionist sensibilities & practices over the course of the movement’s history. The resulting portrait of Zionism reconfigures how we understand Jewish identity amidst continuing debates on the role of nationalism in the modern world.
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Derek Penslar is a professor of Jewish History at Harvard University & director of its Center for Jewish Studies. Penslar takes a comparative & transnational approach to modern Jewish history, which he studies within the contexts of modern nationalism, capitalism, & colonialism. In two co-edited volumes, Penslar has brought Jewish studies into conversation with postcolonial studies (Orientalism & the Jews, [2005] & Unacknowledged Kinships: Postcolonial Theory & the Historiography of Zionism [2023]).
Penslar’s teaching reflects his interests in integrating Jewish history into global contexts. In addition to teaching courses in modern Jewish history & the history of Zionism & Israel, he teaches courses on nationalism, military history, & the history of emotions.