Jewish Labor Bund

The Jewish Labor Bund was a socialist political movement founded in late 19th-century Eastern Europe, primarily advocating for Jewish workers’ rights, cultural independence, and social justice. It promoted the idea of Jewish national identity while emphasizing secularism and atheism, opposing both tsarist oppression and antisemitism. The Bund also encouraged Yiddish language and culture as a way to preserve Jewish identity without reliance on religious frameworks. It played a significant role in labor activism, Jewish self-defense, and political organizing, especially in Russia and Poland, until the mid-20th century, influencing Jewish socialist and labor movements worldwide.