Jason Lustig

Between Berlin and Tel-Aviv: Simon Rawidowicz and the Politics of Culture (Senior Research)

In 2007-08, I did my senior thesis research project with Eugene Sheppard, studying the works of Dr. Simon Rawidowicz. A founding professor of Brandeis' Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, Rawidowicz was a prolific scholar and also played an important but often-ignored political role in late Weimar Germany in the realm of the development of Hebrew culture in the Jewish Diaspora. In my thesis, I studied the development of his thought about the relationship between the land of Israel and the Diaspora.

Chalav U'Dvash, Brandeis' Journal of Zionist Thought

While a student at Brandeis, my friends and I started a publication called Chalav U'Dvash, a semi-academic student publication focusing on issues related to Israel, Zionism and the Jewish people. In addition to serving as a founding editor-in-chief, I published a series of articles, which you can check out here:

Two Jews, Three Parties (Winter 2007)

Everyone knows about "Jewish politics." This article explores the deep relationship between the Jewish political tradition, the world Zionist congress, and the modern State of Israel, as well as Z

Towards New Jewish Civilization (Spring 2006)

In today’s quickly shrinking world, Jewish cultural consciousness and sovereignty are under attack. In order to preserve Jewish culture, the Jews must establish themselves as an independent, alternative civilization.

The Evolving Case for Zionism (Winter 2005)

At some point, every Zionist should ask the question, "Why am I a Zionist?" Today, antisemitism and anti-Israelism are not good enough reasons for being Zionists; rather, we should be Zionists for our own sake and not for the sake of those who despise us.

In the End of Days: Viewing Zionism within the Context of Jewish Messianism (Winter 2005)

In the past few centuries, Jews have significantly changed the way in which they treat Messianism. The Emancipation set the Jews loose upon modern ideologies and movements that can be considered quasi-Messianic in their style and the ways that Jews perceived them. Although Zionism is a quasi-Messianic movement, it is distinct both from traditional Messianic movements and secular quasi-Messianic movements.