Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers URL: www.scjfaq.org/faq/14-02.html

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Question 14.2:
What is Zion?

Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, and one of the names by which Jews have always referred to their homeland, the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel). The name 'Zion' is used in Tanakh both for the land of Israel and for its national and spiritual capital, Jerusalem.

Zion (Pronounced 'tsee-yohn' in Hebrew) has had a continuous Jewish population for thousands of years. For many centuries the majority of the Jewish people have lived dispersed in countries all over the world. Yet, powerful national-spiritual bonds--expressed mainly in liturgy and literature--have constantly linked these Jewish communities with their ancestral homeland.

After centuries of decline and neglect under foreign occupation, Zion is flourishing once again, with the large increase in its Jewish population over the past 100 years, and the restoration of its political independence in 1948.

The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

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© (c) 1993-2004 Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>