Reigniting the young zionist

From archive pages to digital spaces, the Young Zionist is reimagined — for members, by members

Renewing our Voice: The Young Zionist in 5786

The Young Zionist is a perfect encapsulation of what it means to be part of an organisation determined by its members. A historical record of the movement that never stops moving and as the movement changes and evolves, the Young Zionist and its content evolve with it.

FZY has given so much to me since I joined all those years ago. As I sat at Veida this year, I considered the best way for me to give back to FZY. Naturally, as an English student with an immense passion for writing and an overwhelming love for Israel and my Judaism, the Young Zionist was the route to go. When I took on the role of editor back in February, I was fascinated by the work of the previous editors before me. I sat for hours tooth-combing through past articles, reading stories from our members. This is the mark I want to leave as editor—to be able to amplify the voices of those in our FZY community and mesmerise those in the future.

As we look to the movement in the past to shape the future, it’s important to acknowledge how the future can influence the past. We want to transform the Young Zionist to increase engagement and emphasise its importance in FZY — to really get to grips with our ideology and foster a deeper connection between our members, to hear each other’s voices in an accessible way for everyone. While we’re modernising the platform, we’re also holding onto what makes it special. The written articles on the website will remain at the heart of the Young Zionist, preserving that sense of reflection, depth, and history that has always defined it. But alongside this, our new Instagram page will bring the journal into a more interactive, creative space — a place for evolving forms of expression that keep the same spirit alive in a new, visual way.

5786. The new Jewish year. A fresh beginning; a time for reflection and intention-setting. In the same way we look to the year ahead at Rosh Hashanah, I find myself looking forward to a new chapter for the Young Zionist—setting our intentions for what we’d hope to achieve and share amongst the movement and its members. Rosh Hashanah isn’t only a moment to reflect on the past year but a celebration of growth and rejuvenation—exactly what’s happening with the Young Zionist.

So what does it mean to ‘start anew’ for FZY? As a movement, we are fundamentally built on tradition, but we flourish with change, when our members bring fresh energy to old ideas without eradicating its roots. Through rediscovering the old, physical Young Zionist magazines, we can unveil FZY’s creative DNA; a reminder that the movement has always had a voice, a platform for ideas, debate and expression—like opening a time capsule. Today, we have to be innovative and consider the best way of amplifying these echoes of the past to draw them into our present. The rediscovery is demonstrative that the Young Zionist doesn’t need to start from scratch; as we bring it into the digital age, we’re not reinventing it—we’re reigniting its original purpose, giving it new life for a new generation. This blend of legacy and innovation mirrors the spirit of Zionism: remembering history while building the future.

My vision as editor for the remainder of the year is to promote belonging and diversifying voices—a place to share all forms of creativity, whether it’s articles, art, poetry, recipes, food reviews, and so on. The Young Zionist is a place where personal pieces can meet collective identity, where small insights and thoughts can inspire others and drive the movement forward.

Anya Berg, the Young Zionist Editor 25/26

The New Era of the Young Zionist

Since I’ve been involved with FZY (which is 2019, if we’re being exact), the Young Zionist has always been somewhat of an enigma to me. I knew it was the movement’s ideological journal. I knew there was a Young Zionist editor elected at Veida. I knew that maybe a few articles would be published online each year, usually written by the same few people. Maybe there was one printed edition whilst I’ve been involved? I couldn’t even tell you for certain. I have been part of a few conversations about ways to increase engagement with the Young Zionist, but nothing ever seemed to change. And that was pretty much it.

Fast forward to June 2025, only a few months ago, and I’m sitting in the FZY Kenton office ready to commence two days of movement worker training, embarking on what is most likely my last year within FZY. What I definitely was not expecting from these two days was for Joel Jacobs, FZY’s executive director, to appear in the offices with boxes of vintage FZY memorabilia. We’re talking old camp schedules – my favourite piece was a schedule from 1947 (pre state of Israel!!!!! Does that even begin to convey my excitement???), old song sheets, photographs and multiple, physical – that’s right, PHYSICAL - editions of the Young Zionist magazine. Suddenly, it seemed that the entire history of FZY was sitting in front of me. I realised in that moment that the Young Zionist journal had played a crucial part in the movement for so many decades, since 1931. The Young Zionist is for its members, by its members. It was THE place for members to write, to share, to laugh, to respond, to argue, to grieve, to praise. Each edition, and each article within, is a tiny capsule of time, a reflection of Britain and Israel, of FZY and its members at the point of publication. We have digitised all of these articles to create a Young Zionist Archive on our website, so head over there if you’re interested in experiencing a bit of this FZY history magic. We also have all the memorabilia displayed in the office, so if you ever stop by, it’s definitely worth having a look!

Furthermore, I simultaneously realised what a shame it was that the Young Zionist was not experiencing the same success in the digital age of FZY. It dawned on me that this resource deserved to grow and adapt with the movement and its members, and that it would be possible to revitalise and modernise the Young Zionist to allow it to thrive in 2025 and beyond. So, here is my modest attempt at just that! We have launched the Young Zionist’s first Instagram page (@the_young_z) and I would encourage everyone to follow along to not only watch this project unfold, but to be part of the project. Everyone has something to offer the Young Zionist. EVERYONE. I’m eager to expand the journal from purely articles to include every type of media possible. I’m talking poetry, songs, music videos, short stories, short films, drawings, paintings, any type of art ever, speeches, posters, even food.

I’m also eager to expand people’s understandings of what they can make content about, because, as I just said, everyone has something to offer. Whilst it is the movement’s ideological journal, so everything is preferably related to Zionism/Israel/Judaism/FZY, all doors are still left pretty wide open. Do you want to tell us your thoughts on the most recent episode of Fauda? Did you try a new kosher restaurant? Have you listened to a podcast episode you think is worth sharing? Is there a hidden gem in Israel you want to recommend to people? What are you currently reading? Is there a news article you have an opinion on? Did you do a spring clear-out and find something that revealed a piece of your family history? Would you like to share your grandma’s challah recipe? Would you like to share your family’s Seder traditions? Or is there a pressing issue you’d like to address? What I’m trying to demonstrate is that the possibilities of what you can share with the Young Zionist are endless, and everything is worth sharing. I hope you’re feeling inspired to create, and I hope you’re excited to be a part of this new chapter.

Welcome back, to the Young Zionist.

By Joely Spevick, Movement Worker 25/26