Zionism, though it originates in eastern and central Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, is in many ways a continuation of the ancient nationalist attachment of the Jews and of the Jewish religion to the historical region of Palestine.
For Russian Jewry, the openly anti-Semitic policies pursued by the new tsar and the popularity of these policies among large segments of the non-Jewish population pose serious political, economic, and spiritual dilemmas.

On the economic level, the tsar's anti-Semitic policies severely limit Jewish economic opportunities and undermine the livelihood of the Jewish masses.

Many impoverished East European Jews, therefore, emigrate from the Russian Empire.