panel discussion
Bundism’s Influence Today
Today we are witnessing a revival of the ideas of the Jewish Labor Bund, an organization which had been a powerful force in Russian and Polish Jewish communities during the first half of the 20th century. The Bund focused on doikayt (“hereness”), libertarian socialism, and support for secular Jewish culture and the Yiddish language. The activity of those with this new interest, sometimes called "neo-Bundism," alongside those with unbroken links to prewar Bundists, has led to a new visibility of interest in Bundist ideas in both political and cultural circles. And because Bundism offers an alternate historical vision of Jewish identity to Zionism, this development is sometimes a controversial one.
This panel, made up of activists and cultural workers ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s, will discuss what they see in Bundist ideas, and how it affects their current political and cultural practices. Jack Jacobs, a historian of the Bund, will introduce the evening with brief overview of the history of the Bund and its major political tenets and then will moderate a discussion with Molly Crabapple, Irena Klepfisz, Jenny Romaine, and Jacob Plitman, looking at how Bundist ideas are influencing the Jewish community today.
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panel discussion
