In 1939 Berl Katznelson published his essay on Syrkin's early life (until 1903). It still stands as the most impressive memorial to him, characterized as it is by a broad historical sweep, a sensitive understanding of the man and his ideas, much humor and wit. However, partly no doubt for artistic effect, partly perhaps under the spell of a romantic view of party origins, Katznelson overemphasized one theme in Syrkin's life. Entitled “Alone in the Battle”, his essay suggests a picture of Nachman Syrkin as virtually the sole advocate of socialist Zionism in the 1890s, a man who was cut off for years from his fellow men by his commitment to a new ideology, but who was then raised to leadership by the emergence of a new generation in the period of the Kishinev pogrom and the 1905 revolution. “Mad Nakhke”, who had stood alone on the battlefield, found himself reinforced by an army of new recruits.

“He struggled for many years, arguing and preaching”, wrote Katznelson of Syrkin's early tribulations, “before he finally succeeded in 1901 in organizing three people (he was a fourth) in a socialist Zionist society”. Here the historian was simply following his protagonist's own view of his role as described in his brief autobiographical sketches. “In the 1890s”, Syrkin recalled, “I undertook the thankless task of being a socialist among the Zionists and a Zionist among the socialists and, of course, each side sought to shove and kick me over to the other”.