Yankel- it’s not blame. I agree that many of the early Zionist leaders were virulently anti religious and I understand why most Rabbanim were against it. I’m not necessarily saying they made the wrong decision. But a consequence of that reality is that many young impressionable youth felt that they had to make a choice between Yiddishkeit and Zionism, and saw a much brighter future in the Land of Israel, and chose Zionism. It obviously had to be that way, but it doesn’t stop me from daydreaming about an alternative history where that choice didn’t need to be made, and that the land and state was built up by Zionists who didn’t feel the need to reject Yiddishkeit.
