In 1918, a short series of articles titled “The Nation-State Principle in the Prophets’ Creed” appeared in Ha-Mizrahi – the Hebrew-language weekly of the religious-Zionist movement in Poland. In several installments, the author pondered the necessary conditions for building an ideal society and concluded that this objective could only be achieved through the nation-state. He also contended that the ancient Hebrew prophets had already promoted such a vision, devoting their lives to social justice and improving the welfare of the nation. In the author’s estimation, the Hebrew prophets were the ideal leaders for the Jewish people, and it was imperative that contemporary Jews reclaim this ancient leadership model. “Although the sources and the authority of the prophet’s doctrine are merely religious,” he claimed, “the [leadership] trait is neither metaphysical nor theological, but practical – the trait and the doctrine can only be realized in society.”1 A call to action, these words implicitly criticized the heads of interwar religious Jewry for their alleged political passivity. More specifically, Orthodox Jews were urged to follow in the footsteps of the Hebrew prophets by venturing out of the study hall and working for the greater good of their people.