Zionism
at the Ends of the Earth

A Social History of the Zionist movement
in New Zealand to 1948

“…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

NZD40 each plus $12 delivery NZ wide

View 16 November 2025 Book Launch Event

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. By the early 1900s, local Zionist societies were being established. From Russian pogroms in the nineteen 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.

ENDORSEMENTS

“…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

Price: NZD40 each + NZD12 delivery within NZ.

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ACCOUNT DETAILS FOR DIRECT CREDIT

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 convened the inaugural Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposium at Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem. Sheree was listed in Algemeiner’s J100, Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2024.

View images of book launch event held Sunday 16 November, Auckland, NZ. Guest speakers included: Israel Ambassador H.E. Alon Roth-Snir, Dr David Cumin, Dame Lesley Max, Prof Linda Bryder and Dr Sheree Trotter.