An EAJC Special Project: The Reissue of Jabotinsky’s Feuilleton Collection

“The objective was to create a Jew who, while remaining Jewish, could lead a universal human life. Today, we are completely consumed by a thirst for culture, yet we have concurrently forgotten the necessity of remaining Jewish. Or rather, we have not forgotten—as there is a compelling reason preventing us from doing so—but we have halfway ceased to be Jews. This is because we have ceased to value our Jewish essence and have begun to find it burdensome. Indeed, the primary bitterness of our condition lies precisely in this duality: that on one hand, we cannot forget our Jewish identity, while on the other, we are burdened by it…”

Today, on the 80th anniversary of the passing of Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky, this quote—taken from a collection of his feuilletons first published in St. Petersburg in 1913, which reflects the complex dual nature of Jewish identity in Tsarist Russia—remains profoundly relevant. Much like many other writings of the Revisionist movement's leader, this collection continues, as it did decades ago, to provoke critical reflection on the diverse aspects of Jewish life and self-identification.

Accordingly, the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Michael Mirilashvili, and the EAJC Director General, Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, initiated a special project to reissue this collection of feuilletons, which had not been reprinted since 1922.

The foreword to this edition was authored by the President of the State of Israel, Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, who highlighted Jabotinsky's exceptional literary and lyrical talents, as well as his singular contribution to educating and inspiring his fellow Jews toward national revival, dignity, and freedom.

“This book, republished nearly a century since its last printing, carries profound significance. It enhances access to Jabotinsky’s finest journalistic works for Russian-speaking Jewry. Jabotinsky’s teachings align seamlessly with the core mission of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, which is dedicated to supporting Jews of the former Soviet Union and fostering Jewish identity, Zionist awareness, and repatriation to Israel,” President Rivlin wrote in his foreword.