Resources and Articles by Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky

(1880-1940) Zionist activist, solider, orator, writer and poet: founder of the "Jewish Legion during WW I. Jabotinsky greatly influenced a large section of the Jewish people and as head of the Betar movement was the undisputed source of inspiration to many thousands of Jewish youth, particularly in Eastern Europe.


As a member of the editorial board of the Zionist journal Razsvet, he played a leading role in the evolution of Zionist ideology in Russia. Jabotinsky also crusaded in Russia against anti-Semitism, Jewish assimilation and the quasi-nationalism of the Bund. He lectured all over the world, actively collaborating on dozens of publications in many languages and drawing attention to the shortcomings of Zionist political policies and economic methods in Palestine. With the outbreak of WW II, Jabotinsky demanded the creation of a Jewish army to fight the Nazis alongside the Allied armies and a united Jewish representation at the future peace conference. He sailed for the US in 1940 to enlist Jewish and non-Jewish support for the Jewish Army. However, he died suddenly of a heart attack during a visit to the Betar summer camp near New York City.