What does Herzl mean by “the Jewish question”? Is there still a “Jewish question” today?
Theodor Herzl references, in an excerpt of Der Judenstaat, the ‘Jewish Question.‘ He does not reference it just once or twice, but rather it is a key component in Der Judenstaat. The ‘Jewish Question,’ according to Herzl, “is no more a social than religious [question]” and he also says that the Jewish Question will not be answered until it is answered on a political basis. When Herzl refers to the Jewish Question, I believe he is referring to a question posed in Genesis 3:13 “The Lord G-d called out to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” If G-d knows all, why would he be asking Adam (the man) where he is. This poses a moral question similar to: where are you morally, spiritually, and physically. I believe Herzl is referencing this verse and is interpreting it to mean ‘where are we’ and ‘where should we be.’ The ‘Jewish Question’ revolves around the idea of “where are you” and that could be interpreted to mean on a mental, spiritual, ethical, moral, and/or physical level. If the ‘Jewish Question’ is “where are you,” then in modern times, it must have some meaning. By my interpretation of the ‘Jewish Question,’ the idea of ‘where are you’ is still an important one in today’s society and through out all time.
