Nov 1st Blog Question

2. Q: What socialist groups did Jews found specifically for Jews, and how were they different from other socialist movements? A:A socialist group only for Jews was the General Association of Jewish Workers in Lithuania, Russia, and Poland in 1897 in Vilna, the Bund for short. The Bund was different from other socialist movements because they wanted to address cultural issues regarding the needs of the Jewish worker. They were also the first political organization that supported and encouraged the notion that Jews protect jewish property and life with weapons. They also expected that the "…dictatorship of the proletariat would transfer responsibility for culture, education, and law to democratic institutions elected by the various national minorities. The Bund also was there to guard the secular culture of Yiddish. They offered Jews in the working-class a Jewish alternative to radical politics. They also believed that the "Jewish Problem" is one that will be solved when the general social revolution occurs. Another socialist group is the Folkspartey led by Shimon Dubnov. Folspartey believed that Zionism wasn't able to answer the needs of many eastern European Jews. Jewish socialist groups were different from other socialist movements due to the fact that eastern Europe Jews were drawn to the type of socialism.