People who played important roles in the definition, historical development and growth of the modern

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

movement:

A–B

Sarah Aaronsohn Sarah Aaronsohn ( he, שרה אהרונסון; 5 January 1890 – 9 October 1917) was a member of Nili, a ring of Jewish spies working for the British in World War I, and a sister of agronomist Aaron Aaronsohn. She is often referred to as the ...

(1890–1917), born and died in Ottoman Syria/Ottoman Empire (now Israel), member of the Nili Jewish spy ring (working for the British) *

Gershon Agron Gershon Harry Agron ( he, גרשון אגרון, Gershon ʾAgron, ; russian: Гершон Агрон; , yi, גרשון אגראנסקי; 1 November 1959) was a Russian-born American-Israeli newspaper editor, politician, and the mayor of West Jer ...

(1890s–1959), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), immigrated to Palestine during the First World War when fighting in the Jewish Legion, founder of ''

The Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper ...

'' *

Abba Ahimeir Abba Ahimeir ( he, אב"א אחימאיר, russian: Аба Шойл Гайсинович; 2 November 1897 – 6 June 1962) was a Russian-born Jewish journalist, historian, and political activist. One of the ideologues of Revisionist Zionism, ...

(1897–1962), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), immigrated to

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...

, c.1924, active in Revisionist Zionism *

Sholem Aleichem ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Pereiaslav, Russian Empire , death_date = , death_place = New York City, U.S. , occupation = Writer , nationality = , period = , genre = Novels, sh ...

(1859–1916) born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), left for New York after witnessing the 1905 pogroms; advocated Zionism in his writings *

Shulamit Aloni Shulamit Aloni ( he, שולמית אלוני; 29 December 1928 – 24 January 2014) was an Israeli politician. She founded the Ratz party, was leader of the Meretz party, Leader of the Opposition from 1988 to 1990, and served as Minister of Edu ...

(1928–2014), born in Poland, active in Zionist youth movement, later Israeli politician *

Chaim Arlosoroff Haim Arlosoroff (February 23, 1899 – June 16, 1933; also known as Chaim Arlozorov; he, חיים ארלוזורוב) was a Socialist Zionist leader of the Yishuv during the British Mandate for Palestine, prior to the establishment of Isr ...

(1899–1933), born in Romny, Russian Empire (Ukraine), leader of the Yishuv during the British Mandate in Palestine *

David Baazov David Baazov ( ka, დავით ბააზოვი; 1883–1947) was a Georgian-Jewish public and religious figure who spearheaded the Zionist movement in Georgia. His program was an amalgam of moderate orthodox religiosity, enlightenment ...

(1883–1947), born in Tskhinvali, Russian Empire (Georgia/South Ossetia), public and religious figure involved in the Zionist movement in Georgia/Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic * Meir Bar-Ilan (1880–1949), born in Volozhin,Russian Empire (Belarus), rabbi and leader of Religious Zionists (

National Religious Party The National Religious Party ( he, מִפְלָגָה דָּתִית לְאֻומִּית, ''Miflaga Datit Leumit'', commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acronym Mafdal, ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist moveme ...

) * Shulamit Bat-Dori (1904–1985), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), migrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1923, dramatist founded kibbutz theatre * Menachem Begin (1913–1992), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), leader of the militant Irgun group, later prime minister of Israel *

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; he, דָּוִד בֶּן-גּוּרִיּוֹן ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of Israel. Adopting the nam ...

(1886–1973), born in Congress Poland (then Russian Empire), founder and first prime minister of Israel *

Mordechai Bentov Mordechai Bentov ( he, מרדכי בנטוב, 28 March 1900 – 18 January 1985) was an Israeli journalist and politician. He was one of the signatories of the Israeli declaration of independence. Biography Born Mordechai Gutgeld in Grodzisk M ...

(1900–1985), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1920, one of the founders of the Kibbutz Movement, later an Israeli politician *

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda ( he, אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֵּן־יְהוּדָה}; ; born Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman, 7 January 1858 – 16 December 1922) was a Russian–⁠Jewish linguist, grammarian, and journalist, renowned as the lexicographer of ...

(1858–1922) born in the Vilna Governorate (Russian Empire), Hebrew lexicographer and language revivalist *

Hugo Bergmann Hugo Bergmann (Hebrew: שמואל הוגו ברגמן; December 25, 1883 – June 18, 1975) was an Israeli philosopher, born in Prague. Biography Hugo Samuel Bergmann was born and raised in Prague, Austria-Hungary. He was a member of the Pragu ...

(1883–1975) born in Austria-Hungary, immigrated to Palestine in 1920 *

Max Bodenheimer Max Isidor Bodenheimer ( he, מקס בודנהיימר; 12 March 1865 in Stuttgart – 19 July, 1940 in Jerusalem) was a lawyer and one of the main figures in German Zionism. An associate of Theodor Herzl, he was the first president of the Zioni ...

(1865–1940), German-born lawyer and associate of Theodor Herzl, settled in Palestine in 1935 *

Dov Ber Borochov Dov Ber Borochov (russian: Дов-Бер Борохов; 3 July 1881 – 17 December 1917) was a Marxist Zionist and one of the founders of the Labor Zionist movement. He was also a pioneer in the study of the Yiddish language. Biog ...

(1881–1917), born in Zolotonosha (Russian Empire/Ukraine), involved in founding Poale Zion party, Yiddish philologist *

Max Brod Max Brod ( he, מקס ברוד; 27 May 1884 – 20 December 1968) was a German-speaking Bohemian, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is best remembered as the friend and biog ...

(1884–1968), born in Prague (then in Bohemia), Zionist from 1912, settled in Mandatory Palestine in 1939

C–H

Rachel Cohen-Kagan Rachel Cohen-Kagan ( he, רחל כהן-כגן; 19 February 1888 – 15 October 1982) was a Zionist activist and Israeli politician, and one of only two women to sign the Israeli declaration of independence. Biography Rachel Lubersky (later ...

(1888–1982), born in Odessa, activist and Israeli politician *

Abba Eban Abba Solomon Meir Eban (; he, אבא אבן ; born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; 2 February 1915 – 17 November 2002) was an Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages. During his career, he served as For ...

(1915–2002), born in South Africa, active in the Youth movement and the World Zionist Organization, later Israeli politician *

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...

(1879–1955), born in the German Empire, scientist who supported the Zionist movement. Albert Einstein's political views#Zionism * Israel Eldad (1910–1996), Galician-born Revisionist Zionist, follower of Ze'ev Jabotinsky * Mary Fels (1863-1953), German-born/American philanthropist, Georgist, suffragist, Zionist * Paul Friedmann (1840–c. 1900), German philanthropist, founded the short-lived Midian colony as a safe haven for Russian Jews *

Nahum Goldmann Nahum Goldmann ( he, נחום גולדמן) (July 10, 1895 – August 29, 1982) was a leading Zionist. He was a founder of the World Jewish Congress and its president from 1951 to 1978, and was also president of the World Zionist Organization from ...

(1895–1982), born in Vishnevo, Russian Empire, founder and president of the World Zionist Congress * Shulamit Goldstein (1914–2011), born in Ukraine, underground militant and member of the Irgun. * Romana Goodman (1885–1955), Polish-born, co-founder of the Federation of Women Zionists in 1918 * A. D. Gordon (Aaron David Gordon, 1856–1922), born in the Russian Empire, Labor/Practical Zionist, founded Hapoel Hatzair *

Uri Zvi Greenberg Uri Zvi Greenberg ( he, אוּרִי צְבִי גְּרִינְבֵּרְג; September 22, 1896 – May 8, 1981; also spelled Uri Zvi Grinberg) was an acclaimed Israeli poet, journalist and politician who wrote in Yiddish and Hebrew. Widely re ...

(1896–1981), Galician-born in present-day Ukraine poet writing in Yiddish and Hebrew; Labor, later Revisionist Zionist *

Dov Gruner Dov Béla Gruner ( he, דב בלה גרונר; 1912–1947) was a Hungarian-born Zionist activist in Mandatory Palestine and a member of the pre-state Jewish underground Irgun. On April 16, 1947, Gruner was executed by the British Mandatory ...

(1912–1947), Hungarian-born, active in Mandatory Palestine, member of the Irgun paramilitary group * Ahad Ha'am (1856–1927), Russian Empire-born, Cultural Zionist *

Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...

(1860–1904), born in the Austrian Empire, founding father of modern political Zionist movement * Arthur Hertzberg (1921–2006), Polish-born Rabbi, lived in the United States, scholar of Zionism *

Moses Hess Moses (Moritz) Hess (21 January 1812 – 6 April 1875) was a German-Jewish philosopher, early communist and Zionist thinker. His socialist theories led to disagreements with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He is considered a pioneer of Labor Zi ...

(1812–1875), French-born philosopher, Labor Zionist

J–R

Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky ( he, זְאֵב זַ׳בּוֹטִינְסְקִי, ''Ze'ev Zhabotinski'';, ''Wolf Zhabotinski'' 17 October 1880 – 3 August 1940), born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky, was a Russian Jewish Revisionist Zionist leade ...

(1880–1940), born in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) publicist, leader of Revisionist Zionism * Senta Josephtal (1912–2007), born in Germany, joined the HaBonim movement in 1933, immigrated to Palestine in 1938, later Israeli politician *

Zvi Hirsch Kalischer Zvi (Zwi) Hirsch Kalischer (24 March 1795 – 16 October 1874) was an Orthodox German rabbi who expressed views, from a religious perspective, in favour of the Jewish re-settlement of the Land of Israel, which predate Theodor Herzl and the Zionist ...

(1795–1874), German (Prussian) Orthodox Rabbi, one of Zionism's earliest pioneers in the country * Berl Katznelson (1887–1944), born in present-day Belarus, founder of the Histadrut (Jewish trade union) in Palestine during the British mandate *

Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as Rav Kook, and also known by the acronym HaRaAYaH (), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He is considered to be one ...

(1865–1935), born in the Russian Empire (now Latvia), religious Zionist, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, later Palestine, during the British Mandate period * Saul Raphael Landau (1870–1943), Polish lawyer, journalist and Zionist activist * Moshe Leib Lilienblum (1843–1910), born in the Russian Empire (Lithuania) scholar, early advocate of reestablishment of the Jews in Palestine * Emma Levine-Talmi (1905–2004), born in the Russian Empire (Poland); moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1924, later an Israeli politician *

Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and '' kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to ...

(1898–1978), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1921, former prime minister of Israel *

Samuel Mohilever Samuel Mohilever (1824 – 1898), also Shmuel Mohilever, was a rabbi, pioneer of Religious Zionism and one of the founders of the Hovevei Zion movement. Biography Mohilever was born in Głębokie (now Hlybokaye, Belarus) and studied in the Volo ...

(1824–1898), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus) Religious Zionist, a founder of the Hovevei Zion *

Max Nordau Max Simon Nordau (born ''Simon Maximilian Südfeld''; 29 July 1849 – 23 January 1923) was a Zionist leader, physician, author, and social critic. He was a co-founder of the Zionist Organization together with Theodor Herzl, and president or vic ...

(1849–1923), born in the Austrian Empire (Hungary), involved in the foundation of the Zionist Organisation (later World Zionist Organisation) * Erna Patak (1871–1955), Austrian social worker and women's activist *

Leon Pinsker yi, לעאָן פינסקער , birth_date = , birth_place = Tomaszów Lubelski, Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire , death_date = , death_place = Odessa, Russian Empire , known_for = Zionism , occupation = Physician, political activ ...

(1821–1891), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), founder/leader of Hovevei Zion * Ruth Popkin (1913–2015), led Hadassah and the Jewish National Fund *

Haviva Reik Haviva Reik (alternately Haviva Reick, Havivah Reich, Chaviva Reiková or Chaviva Reich) (22 June 1914 – 20 November 1944) was one of 32 or 33 parachutists sent by the Jewish Agency and Britain's MI9 on military missions in Nazi-occupied Europe ...

(1914–1944), parachutist born in the Kingdom of Hungary (Slovakia); member of underground Palmach (Haganah elite force) in Mandatory Palestine *

Isaac Rülf Isaac (Yitzhak) Rülf (February 10, 1831 – September 18, 1902) was a Jewish teacher, journalist and philosopher. He became widely known for his aid work and as a prominent early Zionist. Rülf was born in Rauischholzhausen, Hesse, Germany ...

(1831–1902), Rabbi born in Hesse-Kassel (Germany), advocated a Jewish home in Palestine, became aware of the dangers from German antisemitism *

Arthur Ruppin Arthur Ruppin (1 March 1876 – 1 January 1943) was a German Zionist proponent of pseudoscientific race theory and one of the founders of the city of Tel Aviv.Todd Samuel Presner, ’German Jewish Studies in the Digital Age:Remarks on Discipline ...

(1876–1943), born in the German Empire (Prussia), moved to Palestine in 1907 and organized Jewish immigration *

Pinhas Rutenberg Pinhas Rutenberg (russian: Пётр Моисеевич Рутенберг, Pyotr Moiseyevich Rutenberg; he, פנחס רוטנברג: 5 February 1879 – 3 January 1942) was a Russian Jewish engineer, businessman, and political activist. He pl ...

(1879–1942), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), engineer and activist, settled in Mandatory Palestine in 1919

S–Z

Solomon Schechter Solomon Schechter ( he, שניאור זלמן הכהן שכטר‎; 7 December 1847 – 19 November 1915) was a Moldavian-born British-American rabbi, academic scholar and educator, most famous for his roles as founder and President of the ...

(1847–1915), born in the Principality of Moldavia (now Romania), rabbi, spokesman for Zionism within Conservative Judaism * Rebecca Vera Schweitzer (1880-1938) *

Moshe Sharett Moshe Sharett ( he, משה שרת, born Moshe Chertok (Hebrew: )‎ 15 October 1894 – 7 July 1965) was a Russian-born Israeli politician who served as Israel's second prime minister from 1954 to 1955. A member of Mapai, Sharett's term was b ...

(1894–1965), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine) settled in Ottoman Palestine in 1906, journalist and activist, later an Israeli politician * Abraham Stern (1907–1942), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1925, one of the leaders of the Irgun and Lehi militant group (sometimes known as the Stern gang) *

Nachman Syrkin , birth_date = , birth_place = Mogilev, Russian Empire (now Belarus) , death_date = , death_place = New York City, U.S. , spouse = Bassya Syrkin (née Osnos) , partner = , party = , ...

(also known as Nahum Syrkin, 1868–1924), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), founder of Labor Zionism *

Hannah Szenes Hannah Szenes (often anglicized as Hannah Senesh or Chanah Senesh; he, חנה סנש; hu, Szenes Anna; 17 July 19217 November 1944) was a poet and a Special Operations Executive (SOE) member. She was one of 37 Jewish SOE recruits from Mandate ...

(1921–1944), born in Hungary, migrated to Mandatory Palestine, active in the Haganah, parachutist with the British SOE * Henrietta Szold (1860–1945), Zionist leader and founder of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America * Bernice Tannenbaum (1913–2015), activist with Hadassah *

Joseph Trumpeldor Joseph Vladimirovich (Volfovich) Trumpeldor (21 November 1880 – 1 March 1920, he, יוֹסֵף טְרוּמְפֶּלְדוֹר , russian: Иосиф Владимирович (Вольфович) Трумпельдор ) was an early Zionist a ...

(1880–1920), born in the Russian Empire, involved in the organisation of the Zion Mule Corps which assisted in Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine *

Menachem Ussishkin Menachem Ussishkin (russian: Авраам Менахем Мендл Усышкин ''Avraham Menachem Mendel Ussishkin'', he, מנחם אוסישקין) (August 14, 1863 – October 2, 1941) was a Russian-born Zionist leader and head of the Je ...

(1863–1941), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), leader of the Jewish National Fund *

Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israe ...

(1874–1952), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), biochemist, founder of Synthetic Zionism and first president of Israel *

Felix Weltsch Felix Weltsch (6 October 1884, Prague – 9 November 1964, Jerusalem), was a German-speaking Jewish librarian, philosopher, author, editor, publisher and journalist. A close friend of Max Brod, Ludwig Winder and Franz Kafka, he was one of th ...

(1884–1964), born in Bohemia (Czech Republic), librarian, philosopher, author, editor, publisher and journalist involved with the Zionist newspaper ''Selbstwehr'' (''self-defense'') * Robert Weltsch (1891–1982), born in Prague (then Austria-Hungary, present-day Czech Republic), journalist and editor active in Brit Shalom * Orde Wingate (1903–1944), non-Jewish British army officer who trained the Haganah *

L. L. Zamenhof L. L. Zamenhof (15 December 185914 April 1917) was an ophthalmologist who lived for most of his life in Warsaw. He is best known as the creator of Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language. Zamenhof first dev ...

(1859–1917), born in Białystok (then in the Russian Empire, now Poland), ophthalmologist and creator of Esperanto, briefly active in Hovevei Zion *

Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of cultural Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and ...

(1864–1926), British author, cultural Zionist involved in the Jewish Territorial Organization * A. L. Zissu (1888–1956), Romanian writer and industrialist,

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religious"), and in Israel, the ...

Baruch Zuckerman Baruch Zuckerman ( he, ברוך צוקרמן; June 26, 1887 – December 13, 1970) was a leading American-Israeli Zionist, one of the leading proponents of Yad Vashem, editor of '' Yiddishe Kempfer'', and a leading figure in the Farband and Hist ...

(1887–1970), American-Israeli Zionist,

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...

proponent

References

{{reflist Zionist figures, List of prominent