Embodying the Revolution

In this original and thought-provoking interpretation of Zionism, Ofer Idels shows that, although Hebrew culture is often associated with nurturing strong and healthy ‘muscular Jews,’ during the interwar years, it frequently shied away from modern sports. Exploring this local yet surprising gap against a global backdrop, the work highlights an uncommon society in which athletes did not achieve a position of national pride and distinction, while also opening a fresh discussion on Zionist meaning and experience. Drawing on an extensive array of archival sources and contemporary theories, Embodying the Revolution addresses themes such as the body, language, space, immigration, internationalism, amateurism, gender, and militarization to trace the peripheral status of sports as an outcome of the significant role Zionist revolutionary aspirations played in Jewish life in Palestine. The result is an innovative exploration of the appeal of sports, selfhood, and the compromises of radical aspirations and actions, challenging contemporary neoliberal narratives that reduce ideology as an elitist myth.