The Emancipation of Slaves and the Auto-Emancipation of the Jews: The Impact of the American Civil War and the Abolition of Slavery on the Precursors of Zionism

Research on the Jews, the issue of slavery in the southern states, and the American Civil War has naturally focused on the Jews of the United States, who, as citizens, were reluctant to become involved in the debate that divided their country during those years. However, the attitude of the Jews in the Old World towards the events unfolding on a continent thousands of miles away has rarely been studied. This article examines the small group of Jews from Europe and the Land of Israel who became known as the “precursors of Zionism” and their attitude towards the American Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves. This group was very sensitive to historical changes, sometimes even imbuing them with metaphysical meaning that went far beyond their political significance.