Alaska. Albania. Madagascar. Siberia. Suriname. What do all these places have in common?

At one point or another, they were suggested as potential places for the Jewish homeland.

Suriname was proposed by Isaac Steinberg. He, as the head of the Freeland League in the 30s and 40s, looked all over the globe for a home for Jews. His first suggestion was Western Australia, before turning his eyes towards South America.

Steinberg actually had a fascinating past. He started out as a Russian revolutionary, and even served as the Soviet Union's Commissar for Justice (Lenin supposedly was not a fan of Steinberg taking Shabbat off).

Of course, Suriname, just like other choices from a list that spanned every corner of the globe, was rejected. Steinberg ended up settling in New York City.

It took him a while, but he found his Jewish homeland...