Zionism at the Ends of the Earth

Zionism at the Ends of the Earth
by Dr Sheree Trotter

“…it is more important than ever to reassert the true history of the movement supported by the international community of the time, and acknowledged, particularly after the Holocaust, to be right and just.” 

Dr Sheree Trotter

How did a small Jewish community, far from world centres, become so deeply engaged in the movement to establish a Jewish state?  This volume tells the story of Zionism in New Zealand, from early settlement to the birth of Israel in 1948. Jewish immigrants built synagogues and fostered philanthropy, laying the foundations for Herzl’s vision when it reached these distant shores. From Russian pogroms in the 19th century to the Holocaust, global events intensified commitment, and New Zealand played its part on the international stage. Driven by humanitarian concern, visionary leaders worked together with many in the Christian community to support a global movement that led to Israel’s rebirth.

“…a timely and rigorous history of a small but resilient Jewish community over more than a century. Dr Trotter’s impressive scholarship illuminates not only the extraordinary contribution Jews have made to New Zealand over this period, but also how the community is woven into the country’s history more generally. The result is both absorbing and revelatory.”

Prof Paul Moon ONZM,
DLitt, PhD, FLS, FRSA, FRAI, FRGS, FRHistS 

“…an outstanding contribution to Jewish studies and Zionism, including the Jewish diaspora internationally and in particular the local Jewish community... …scholarly and highly accessible… Always with an eye to the changing international situation, Trotter tells a compelling story of local significance...”

Prof Linda Bryder

DPhil (Oxford), FRSNZ, FNZAH

"This highly accessible book is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand not only the development of the movement ‘at the ends of the earth’, but also the broader context within which modern Zionism emerged."
Professor Emeritus Suzanne D. Rutland OAM, PhD

Sheree Trotter earned her PhD in history from University of Auckland. She is a Fellow of London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and in 2012 co-founded the Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation for whom she has interviewed seventy Holocaust survivors. She founded Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem and convenes the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposia at Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem. Sheree was listed in Algemeiner’s J100, Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2024. Christian Allies Foundation listed her in their Top 50 Christian Allies.