Thank you, this article (and the link to the Rebbe's letter!) really helped me understand the position of Religious non-Zionists. Still I think there's room for more nuance in the discussion of RZ (speaking as one myself). Yes, there are fewer nowadays who say paying taxes is a mitzvah. But still, most Dati Leumi say serving in the IDF is a mitzvah (and not just the mitzvah of protecting Jewish lives as one would in a defense group in galut for example). I think tying it to the precise hashkafa of Rav Kook is a mistake, similar to defining IZ through Herzl's philosophy when there's been much evolution since then. And the bracha for Israel with the phrase ראשית צמיחת גאולתנו, while not uncontroversial, has become common among Modern Orthodox and I've even heard it in more yeshivish shuls in America. So I think Religious Zionism is still a significant strain of thought, with a variety of views represented, some closer to non-Zionism and some like Rav Sherki perhaps going beyond Rav Kook and saying we are now in the days of Mashiach.
Looking forward to the article on Sefardi history!
Thank you, this article (and the link to the Rebbe's letter!) really helped me understand the position of Religious non-Zionists. Still I think there's room for more nuance in the discussion of RZ (speaking as one myself). Yes, there are fewer nowadays who say paying taxes is a mitzvah. But still, most Dati Leumi say serving in the IDF is a mitzvah (and not just the mitzvah of protecting Jewish lives as one would in a defense group in galut for example). I think tying it to the precise hashkafa of Rav Kook is a mistake, similar to defining IZ through Herzl's philosophy when there's been much evolution since then. And the bracha for Israel with the phrase ראשית צמיחת גאולתנו, while not uncontroversial, has become common among Modern Orthodox and I've even heard it in more yeshivish shuls in America. So I think Religious Zionism is still a significant strain of thought, with a variety of views represented, some closer to non-Zionism and some like Rav Sherki perhaps going beyond Rav Kook and saying we are now in the days of Mashiach.
Looking forward to the article on Sefardi history!
Great article! Thanks for writing it.