In this paper, I analyse the early twentieth-century Jewish Youth Movement Blau-Weiß (Blue-White) and its attempts to use history and myth as part of a tale of its young people's responsibilities: to combat (self-)perceptions of a weak Jewish people by re-telling heroic tales. Foundational stories thus became a means of helping Jews fulfil their Zionist destiny.

The members of that Youth Movement were torn between the hope of being acknowledged “truly German” and the desire of keeping contact to their Jewish heritage. The clear outline of aims and ideas presented in official statements was challenged by the experiences and wishes of everyday life within a German, non-Jewish society. Even the first declarations of the movement show the ambiguity of their endeavour: “The Blau-Weiß, League for Jewish Youth Excursions aims to bring back the younger generation into the arms of mother nature to balance out the harms of mistaken education (…) Our aims are: physical strengthening and most of all sanity and morally wellbeing of the youth…” That statement is taken from the Foundation-Manifesto of Blau-Weiss. The delegates at the Zionistic Congress in 1912 blamed the circumstances of urban living for –what they call– nervous youth. Therefor they started an appeal at the congress to install an education that helps to master the anticipated (Zionist) future. In their paper, they referred to “typical Jewish” habits and self-descriptions and blamed the bad educational practice in Jewish families. The foundation of the Zionistic Youth Movement Blau-Weiß was one way to face ongoing problems, starting with the idea that for a new society a new kind of human being is necessary. The German Youth Movement strove for that new human in turning away from “urban risks” to educate a bodily and mentally strong German youth (individual level) and to create a new community spirit (societal level). That striving was clearly elitism to produce a collective bound beyond egalitarian thinking and drew on an existing elitist understanding of the higher class. “Who is in control of the Youth, is in control of the future!” (Title of a leaflet in 1915) was (and still is?) the suggestion of the time and Blau-Weiß strove to educate the “new Jewish being”. Especially the forming of a strong, muscled body was emphasized to cause to vanish the myth of weak and decadent Jewish people. The Blau-Weiß conceived a detailed educational program that aimed at educating the young people to Jews, who are aware and proud of their Jewishness, customs and heritage. The young were made familiar with traditional custom none of them got to know at home. The educational and ideological program accentuated “Jewish” contents: the circle of the Jewish year with its holidays and feast; Jewish history was told just as heroic stories of ancient times were read.

Taking a starting point in the Manifesto of 1912, I will scrutinize the monthly paper of Blau-Weiß for the stories and histories, the memories, narratives and traditions taken into account to educate the Youth in a good (Zionist) faith.

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