The Local Zionist Organization of East Galicia (1920-1939): Its Creation and Transformations

The reasons of Zionism appearance in Galicia were different from the other part of the interwar Poland. It had roots in Austrian liberal tradition which were flourished before the I World war. This heritage formed further policy of East Galician Jews, which distinguished among other Polish Zionist parties. The Local Zionist Organization was resurrected after the war by local activists, who had come back from Austrian army. There were Adolf Stand, Leon Reich, David Thon and Adolf Rothfeld, who grown up in liberal environment of the Habsburg rules.

The strategy of Galician Zionists were different from other Zionists in Poland, thus they had never agreed with them. First, they formed own ideology of Zionism, which was quite difference and were spread by a party’s newspaper Chwila. Second, these deputies were enough successful in negotiation with Polish government. Their strategy looked like a policy of pragmatism which could gain a compromise with opposite sides. There were an ideal basement to create own political discourse that influenced on party’s supporters and formed a new form of Jewish modern identity.

The understanding of this phenomenon is impossible without a multinational context of East Central Europe. In this complex conditions a new modern identities were formed. All social and cultural bounds affected the society and the appearance of Zionist party in Galicia was a reflection of the international relationship in region.