10423 From 'National Home' to a 'State in the Making': The Jewish Community in Palestine between the World Wars 1

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Modern History of the Jewish People or in Land of Israel Studies or in History of the Middle East

Prerequisites: none

Author: Aviva Halamish

The course presents the development of the Jewish community (Yishuv) in Palestine between the world wars against the background of local, regional and global events. It focuses on the development of the Yishuv into an autonomous community ready for independence, that absorbed hundreds of thousands of immigrants despite foreign rule and the escalating conflict with its Arab neighbors. The materials include an anthology of original documents and research on the topic.

Topics: Introduction – historiography and historical background; The British, Jews and Arabs in Palestine, 1917-1929; A volunteer society – institutions, political parties and organizations; Basis for a national home – immigration, economics and settlement in the 1920s; Consensus and conflict in the 1920s; From crisis to growth, 1929-1932; the British, Jews and Arabs in Palestine, 1931-1939; Developing a critical mass – immigration, economics and settlement in the 1930s; Consensus and conflict in the 1930s; A race against time – the Yishuv on the eve of World War II.

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1A 4-credit version of this course is offered in Russian (42137). Its description is available on the Russian-language website of the Open University (https://www-r.openu.ac.il/).

There is some overlap in the content of this and other courses. For details, see Overlapping Courses.