Bertell Ollman is an internationally renowned American Marxist political scientist and a long-time professor of politics at New York University. As a scholar of Jewish descent, his upbringing was deeply influenced by the traditions of Jewish humanism; this identity not only sharpened his insight into social justice but also laid the groundwork for his later synthesis of Marxist theory and ethical practice.
In terms of professional achievements, Ollman is world-famous for his pioneering research on Marx’s theory of alienation and internal relations, with his work Alienation: Marx’s Conception of Man in Capitalist Society considered a definitive text in the field. Far from staying confined to the ivory tower, he creatively invented the board game Class Struggle, aiming to help the public understand complex socio-economic structures through play—a testament to his wit and creativity as a “scholar-activist.”
Driven by this steadfast commitment to social justice, Ollman turned his critical gaze toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is a vocal critic of Zionism, arguing that the oppression of the Palestinian people contradicts the core Jewish values of compassion and justice. His support for Palestine is manifested both in his prolific writing and speaking, where he frames Israeli policies as a form of colonial expansion, and in his active participation in protests. For Ollman, standing with Palestine is more than just supporting an oppressed group; it is a Jewish intellectual’s defense of the universal ideal of human liberation from a Marxist perspective.