As early as the beginning of the 20th century, a branch of the Zionist party Tze'irei Zion (Zionist Youth), which was also known as the ZS, or “Zionist Socialists”, was established in Chełm. This party cooperated with the local Poalei Zion (Zionist workers) party, and together they established and operated drama groups, a choir, a library (named after Dov-Ber Borochov, one of the leaders of Poalei Zion in Russia), and a sports club called “Hakoach” (The Strength).
In 1905 the Bund, an anti-Zionist movement opened a branch in Chełm, later establishing a Jewish self-defense organization too. The Bund was also active in offering night classes, educational programs and cultural activities for Jewish youth and adults, particularly of the working class. Between the two world wars many of the Bund members immigrated to Latin America. They continued supporting the Bund from abroad, and their donations funded the school that the movement established in Chełm.
A branch of the Orthodox Agudat Yisrael was established in Chełm in 1930.
A number of the Jews in the city were members of the Polish Communist Party, which was outlawed in 1926. In 1925 a branch of the Mizrachi party was established, and ten years later, in 1935, a branch of the Revisionist Movement.
In the interwar period many Jewish youth movements were active in Chełm, most of them Zionist. Hashomer Hatzair established its branch in the city even before the First World War – it was one of the earliest branches of this movement. Hashomer Hatzair followed an ideology of Socialist Zionism, and called upon its members to immigrate to Eretz Israel (Mandatory Palestine) en masse. Hechalutz established its branch in Chełm in 1930, and most of its members came from among the working class. In 1931 Hechalutz founded a kibbutz in Chełm for Hachshara (pioneer training).
The religious Zionist youth were connected to the Mizrachi movement. In Chełm, such youths were mainly active in the Tze'irei Hamizrachi (Mizrachi Youth) and Hashomer Hadati (Religious Guard), an organization that also stressed practical education and the goal of fulfillment of the Zionist ideal through immigration to Eretz Israel as pioneers.
In 1932 the Beitar revisionist movement established a branch in Chełm.
Chełm was also home to non-Zionist Jewish youth movements: Tze'irei Agudat Yisrael (Agudat Yisrael Youth), Zukunft (Future) - the Bund youth movement, and Skif, the children’s branch of the Bund.
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