The Bund: Fighting Fascism, Fighting Zionism (w/ Molly Crabapple)
Know Your Enemy10 Apr

The Bund: Fighting Fascism, Fighting Zionism (w/ Molly Crabapple)

In 1897, a small group of Jewish Marxists on the outskirts of the Russian empire founded the General Jewish Labour Bund. The Bundists were revolutionary socialists, unapologetic internationalists, champions of the Yiddish language, and implacable foes of nationalism of every stripe, including (especially) Zionism. Bundists helped found the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, organized militias to defend Jews against pogroms, fought on the frontlines of the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, fought fascists wherever they found them, and helped lead the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

The history of the Bund is largely forgotten today — in part because Bundists were such early and prescient critics of Zionism. As one of its leader said in 1933, "If Jewish nationalism, as a general rule, is not bloodthirsty, this is only out of necessity, not virtue; if an appropriate opportunity arose, Jewish nationalism would show its sharp teeth and nails no less than the nationalisms of other nations.” Thankfully, Crabapple spent the last seven years rediscovering the Bund's fascinating history for her new book: Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund. It was thrilling to have her on to discuss it. “For leftist Jews longing for resources within our own past for combating the Zionist death cult," Crabapple says, "the Bund is a model.”

Further Reading:

Molly Crabapple, Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund, (April 2026)

Sam Adler-Bell, "For leftist Jews, the Bund is a model’: the radical history behind one of Europe’s biggest socialist movements," The Guardian, Apr 7, 2026.

Max Strasser, "What Does Judaism Look Like Without Zionism?" NYTimes, Apr 6, 2026.

*BUY TICKETS TO SEE MATT AND SAM AND MIKE DUNCAN IN NEW YORK*

...and don't forget to subscribe to Know Your Enemy on Patreon for access to all of our bonus episodes!

Episoder(264)

Peter Thiel and the Antichrist

Peter Thiel and the Antichrist

Over the course of the past year, Peter Thiel—the Trump backing, Vance boosting gay tech billionaire—has been delivering a series of lectures on the Antichrist, using an examination of the Biblical an...

27 Apr 1h 30min

The Pope and the President [Teaser]

The Pope and the President [Teaser]

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. Once more we take up religion and politics, this time a conversation about President Donald Trump's attacks on P...

17 Apr 4min

Misogyny, MAGA-style [Teaser]

Misogyny, MAGA-style [Teaser]

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. Last month, our very own Sam Adler-Bell published a deeply reported article in New York magazine about "the wome...

1 Apr 5min

From Neocon to Never-Trump (w/ Bill Kristol)

From Neocon to Never-Trump (w/ Bill Kristol)

There’s perhaps no living person who better embodies the themes, contradictions, ethos, and pathos of “Know Your Enemy” than William Kristol, this week’s guest. Today, Kristol is editor-at-large of Th...

23 Mar 1h 10min

James Talarico and the Politics of Progressive Christianity [Teaser]

James Talarico and the Politics of Progressive Christianity [Teaser]

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. In this episode, we shift our attention from the Trump administration to the winner of the Democratic primary fo...

16 Mar 4min

Trump's War Against Iran (w/ Matt Duss)

Trump's War Against Iran (w/ Matt Duss)

On February 28, both the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nation's Supreme Leader, along with other political leaders and government officials, destroying va...

6 Mar 1h 16min

Standing Athwart History, Yelling "Slop!" (w/ John Ganz) [Teaser]

Standing Athwart History, Yelling "Slop!" (w/ John Ganz) [Teaser]

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. On Monday, Manhattan Institute fellow Chris Rufo posted this: "The Right's collective brain is getting melted in...

27 Feb 2min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
fotballpodden-2
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-gukild-johaug
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5