6 Failed Jewish States Before Israel | Unpacked

While many associate the idea of a Jewish state solely with modern Israel, history tells a tale of multiple attempts to establish Jewish states in locations as diverse as ancient Babylonia and Niagara Falls. Despite their differences in era and geography, each of these states shared a common fate—they never lasted.

Ultimately, these historical attempts underscore a profound truth: the quest for a Jewish state is as old as the Jewish people itself, but the enduring bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel is not just a matter of heritage, but of destiny; Israel is the only place where the vision of a Jewish homeland can, and has truly and permanently, taken root.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:24 The ancient kingdoms: Ancient Babylonia
02:00 The ancient kingdoms: 5th century Arabia
03:09 The ancient kingdoms: Yemen
04:08 Ararat (Niagara Falls), New York, USA
06:09 Uganda, Africa
07:46 Birobidzhan (Siberia), Soviet Union
09:57 Lublin, Poland
10:39 Madagascar, Africa
12:45 The only place that has stuck: the State of Israel

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Image and footage credits:
David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries
© IWM WPN 219, © IWM IWM 84, © IWM AYY 1163
Un Topo por el Mundo
Yad VaShem
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Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
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Translation credits:

About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.

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#history #usa #africa

[kircharles]

I guess Argentina was missed. There was a plan to construct a state there. It is well documented at Bochorov's writings.

[Kurtlane]

Major problems with the story about Uganda.

Dangerous animals as a reason not to go there -- this is just silly. Organized people are no match for any animal. It is people who are truly dangerous.

Speaking about people, Masai live predominantly in Kenya and Tanzania. There are a few in Uganda, but not many. Surely their resistance was insignificant. So maybe it was some other people. Who knows.

The British colonists in Uganda were living very well at the time.

Uganda was declined simply because it wasn't historical Jewish land, so the hearts of the people didn't yearn for it.

[Talinight]

I'm neutral, but i can i request a video next:

Jewish communities that remained in the Land of Israel and never went into the diaspora

[vinnaypatel]

The logic here is temporary kingdom empire counts as a Jewish state. So Spain should be Muslim. China should be Mongolia. India should be British. Algeria french. Britain Italy due to Roman conquest. Etc

[neilairwin]

I visited the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Birobidzhan in 2008. It still exists and some Jews still live there. It has a synagogue, a rabbi, a Jewish cultural centre, Jewish schools, signs in Yiddish using Hebrew letters, and various Jewish cultural monuments. It is an interesting place with beautiful scenery. Apart from Israel it is the only other official Jewish jurisdiction in the world. Its problem is its extreme remoteness. It took a 6 days train journey from Moscow to reach. I went there because it was my grandfather's dream to either live there or in Israel. He never managed to do either. I lived up to his dream by moving to and living in Israel for 6 years, and going to visit Birobidzhan when I went to Russia. I lived in Russia for a year.

[usrG]

Ethiopians weren't forced into Judaism, Axum empire was much bigger than any jew state

[chasedanielle]

This channel has been so eye-opening for me.
I’ve connected with a bunch of family I didn’t know I had after taking a DNA test. I came up 53% ashkenazi.
My father is 86 and changed his names when moving to America, so my lineage has been hidden until lately.
Thank you for doing what you do, it’s really helped me along on my journey ❤

[leorblumenthal]

There was also the quixotic efforts of the various socialist Bunds to develop autonomy within the areas of the European diaspora where they lived. These efforts, unlike Birobdizhan, at least had the distinction of being Jewish efforts. But none of them succeeded, and after the Shoah Bundism became little more than a poorly remembered ohase in Jewish history.

[zcohent]

I saw an algerian documentary showing there was a jewish kingdom in central algeria called Tamentit

[johnsimca]

I’m ashamed to say this is the first time I’ve heard of the first three you mentioned. Keep up your good work✡️🇮🇱

[selinaBARMAR]

Being a New Yorker, I grew up around Jewish Communites and worked once for the UJA Federation in NYC. Love good NYC bagels and lox! Some good insights, again I learned something new

[Newsopathy-gfug]

You missed out Argentina, 1889. What an amazing omission!

[ddavi_dmi]

Wow, I only knew about the Uganda plan, Birobidzhan and Madagascar 🙏

[SchizophrenicNietzscheianer]

So you want to say, that maybe just maybe the problem is that people don't like to be replaced by a settler colonial state?

[jonl]

When I spent a year living in Israel in 2022-2023, I met a 93-year-old woman who said: "Eretz Israel doesn't belong to us, we belong to Eretz Israel. This is our people's eternal home."
Israel is indeed the only Jewish home we need.

[lampsaltlight]

I’m from Madagascar. I don’t understand what you were saying about the island having harsh conditions. As a french colony, the island was economically very prosper back then...

[ernestomenendez]

You didnt mentioned the sefarad in Spain that lead technicallybto a sort of holocoust for us. I guess with Birovidzhan you meant the Oblast, right? Oblast still exist and its still very jew

[HaleyMary]

I always thought that a Jewish state in New York would make sense given the high Jewish population there. I'm surprised that there had been one there in the past. This was a very interesting video.

[jamesmarvin]

The state of Israel that was once proposed to be established outside the Promised Land failed miserably. 8 proposals to establish the State of Israel in various parts of the world, each as follows:
1820 Virginia, Ararat city (USA)
1903 Uganda “Scheme” (Italian colony at that time)
1940 Guiana (Italian colony at that time)
1928 Russia (Autonomous Oblast/Jewish Autonomous Oblast)
1930 Japan (Fugu Plan)
1938 Madagascar (Madagascar Plan)
1938 Australia (Port Davey)
1936 Ethiopia

It was also recorded that The State of Judea – many Israeli settlers in the West Bank are considering declaring independence as the State of Judea if Israel withdraws from the West Bank. In January 1989, several hundred activists met and announced their intention to create such a state if Israel withdrew from the region.

[-eg]

You forgot about the Kingdom of Semien