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Golus nationalism, also known as Galuth Nationalism, is an alternative road to the typical Zionist ideology. The term golus has been understood both to mean diaspora, as well as exile.

This theory is tied to the concept of Alljudentum, or Pan-Judaism. It also essentializes cultural aspects of Ashkenazi Jews in specific, such as the Yiddish language.

Origins and Related Movements
The concept of Golus Nationalism was conceived by Nathan Birnbaum, and reportedly aligned with a resentment for Theodor Herzl's lack of interest in sustaining and reviving Jewish diasporic culture, while favoring political strategy towards sovereignty. This oppositional ideology developed around the theory that a nation could be maintained throughout a diaspora, similar to the Non-territorial autonomists ideas, without physical boundaries to define the extent of the sovereignty.

Birnbaum's ideas also countered Ahad Ha-am because not only did they not require a physical state with boundaries, but Birnbaum did not believe that the spirit of Judaism lay in the location of the Holy Land of Israel.

Though there was a division between Cultural Zionists who were led by Ahad Ha-am, and Political Zionists, who were led by Theodor Herzl, Nathan Birnbaum's Golus nationalists countered both ideologies.

Birnbaum's theories aligned with Simon Dubnow' s concepts of Diaspora Nationalism.

Additionally, there is significant overlap between Golus Nationalism and Yiddishism, which share anti-Zionist, anti-assimilationist values.

Birnbaum attracted significant supporters, such as Franz Kafka, after seeing him speak at a cultural evening in Prague.

Another involved theorist is Chaim Zhitlovsky, who had similar concepts as the Bundists, and he pushed for agricultural lifestyles for the usually city-dwelling Jews of Europe and America.