Organizing a Movement

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The reorganization of the Bundist movement, scattered across regions and ideological currents, requires a well-coordinated and structured effort. To rebuild a united Jewish Bundist movement that can meet the challenges of the 21st century, we must establish a flexible yet organized framework that supports the diversity within our movement while providing the strength and coherence needed for revolutionary action.

The Need for a Coordinating Structure

To unite the disparate factions and groups that identify with Bundism today, we need a central, international coordinating structure—a secretariat that serves as a unifying force for all Bundist movements. This secretariat should be seen as the first step toward a real international leadership. Its role in this early phase is not to dictate policies or centralize power but to support the various Bundist organizations, helping them coordinate, communicate, and share resources.

The secretariat will serve several key functions:

  • Facilitating communication between Bundist groups across the world, ensuring that experiences, strategies, and tactics can be shared and learned from.

  • Organizing shared resources, such as educational materials, propaganda, and platforms for discussion, to help each Bundist group build its capacity.

  • Providing technical support for organizing events, conferences, and gatherings that bring Bundists together—both online and in person.

The secretariat should focus on unifying the movement without imposing rigid hierarchies or demanding uniformity in tactics. Its role, at this stage, is purely supportive, aimed at empowering the different branches of Bundism to grow and connect with one another.

Balancing Centralism and Diversity

One of the most crucial challenges in organizing a movement as diverse as the Bund is finding the right balance between centralism and diversity. Centralism, when used wisely, helps ensure that the movement can act cohesively, especially when facing a shared enemy like imperialism, capitalism, or Zionism. However, excessive centralization can stifle the very diversity that gives the Bund its strength—different regions, cultures, and socialist traditions bring unique insights and strategies to the movement.

In the Bundist movement, centralism should never be about controlling or homogenizing the various groups but about coordination. The secretariat must work to harmonize the diverse forms of Bundism into a collective force while allowing for differences in local conditions, strategies, and priorities. Diversity is not a weakness—it is a source of resilience. Our movement thrives when different groups can experiment with new forms of organization and resistance, sharing their successes and failures with the broader network.

Supporting the Movement, Not Leading It (Yet)

In this first phase of rebuilding the Bund, the international secretariat’s primary task is to support the movement. This includes providing technical, organizational, and strategic assistance to Bundist factions around the world. Its role is not yet to lead but to facilitate. Only once the movement is stronger and more united should the secretariat begin taking on more leadership responsibilities. Even then, leadership should be understood as servant leadership—aimed at empowering the movement rather than controlling it.

Over time, as the Bund becomes more cohesive and organized, the secretariat may take on leadership responsibilities in the form of coordination between factions, setting long-term goals, and organizing international campaigns. But this process must be gradual, based on trust and mutual respect among Bundist groups.

The Bund as a Jewish Socialist League

The Bundist movement should not aim to become just one more socialist party in a world already overflowing with various socialist factions and tendencies. In many regions, especially those where socialist parties already exist, it may be more effective to organize the Bund as a Jewish socialist league. This would allow Bundists to engage with comrades from multiple socialist parties, working across organizational lines while maintaining their distinct identity and focus on Jewish liberation, socialism, and anti-Zionism.

By organizing as a league rather than a party, the Bund can act as a cross-party platform, bringing together members from different socialist movements who share a commitment to the Bund’s principles of doikayt, yiddishkayt, and sotsializm. This model fosters collaboration and solidarity, rather than dividing the socialist movement further by creating yet another competing party.

Organizing an International Conference

One of the most immediate goals of the new Bundist movement should be the organization of an international conference. This conference would bring together representatives from all Bundist factions, whether in-person or online, to discuss the movement’s future and elect a daily leadership to coordinate the international work.

This conference would serve several purposes:

  • Reuniting and reconnecting the different groups and factions that identify as Bundist, allowing them to share experiences and strategies.

  • Developing a collective vision for the future of the movement, discussing key issues such as anti-Zionism, labor struggles, and cultural preservation.

  • Electing a daily leadership that can serve as a point of contact and coordination for the entire movement, ensuring that Bundist groups around the world can act in concert.

The conference should also serve as a forum for debate and discussion, allowing different factions to bring forward their ideas and proposals for the future of Bundism. It must be a democratic space, open to all tendencies within the movement, and should encourage diversity of thought and strategy while maintaining a shared commitment to the principles of the Bund.

Conclusion

Organizing the Bundist movement in the 21st century requires careful planning, a commitment to pluralism, and the creation of structures that support unity without stifling diversity. The international secretariat will play a vital role in this process, not as a centralized authority but as a coordinating body that empowers Bundist factions around the world to act together. By balancing centralism with diversity and organizing cross-party collaborations, the Bund can become a powerful force in the global socialist movement. The first step in this process will be an international conference, where Bundists from across the globe can gather, share, and build a collective vision for the future of Jewish socialism.