Jewish politics of the first half of the 20th century can hardly be reduced to the history of the Zionist movement. Various autonomy oriented groupings were obviously active as well, with the so-called “Bund” being one of the most prominent among them. Although the demand for Jewish national and cultural autonomy in the Diaspora, particularly in Eastern Europe, and the emphasis upon cultivation of the Yiddish culture could be seen as two characteristic features of the Bund, the very evolution of these notions attests to a rather more complex mosaic of the Bundist world outlook.
The traditional notion of Herzl, the symbol, with vague and naive Zionist self-awareness, was abandoned in academic circles some time ago. The question is whether the scarce and fragmented sources on his ideological make-up can serve he purpose of drawing any fundamental conclusions. In spite of the visionary tendencies Herzl displayed, there are intellectual moments in his thinking that deserve attention. His ideas may not be perceived as systematic but they do represent a specific trend in Zionist ideology, as embodied in his notion of the Jews´State. Herzl´s alleged return to Judaism and his often-ignored ideas on social and political issues best demonstrate the consistency of his ideological viewpoint.