The legacy of Theodor Herzl lives on in Chicago school
The Herzl School of Excellence still teaches about the school's namesake, with the motto "Visionary of the Jewish State" appearing on school sweatshirts and sports team uniforms.
By AARON REICHTheodor Herzl leaning over the balcony of the Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel, Switzerland, probably during the Sixth Zionist Conference there in 1903(photo credit: JERUSALEM POST ARCHIVE)
The Herzl School of Excellence in Chicago, Illinois, was founded by Jews in 1914, and named after the founding father of Zionism, Theodor Herzl. Since then, the Jews have mostly moved north, and the school is largely attended by African-American students.However, the school's connection to Herzl is still present, including the motto "Visionary of the Jewish State" that appears on school sweatshirts and sports team uniforms. In addition, students take a course dealing with Herzl, and members of the city's Jewish community regularly give students Christmas gifts.This connection was the reason why Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman, head of the Department of Diaspora Affairs at the World Zionist Organization (WZO), came to the school on an official visit.Coming to the school, Yehoshua-Braverman gave a pin to school principal Tamara Davis – a replica of the original pin worn by the delegates to the First Zionist Congress in Basel.Davis openly began to tear up upon receiving the pin, and proceeded to praise the school's namesake."Herzl is an inspirational entrepreneur," she said. "Every meeting with Israelis and every Zionist education session illustrates to the students how change can be achieved in the world. I'm proud that even my own name has a link with Zionism and Judaism, and it is a privilege to be named after the palm tree (tamar), which is the only tree that can survive in the desert."Yehoshua-Braverman spoke about the connection and similarities between Herzl and a later ideological leader that fought for the dream of equality between all races – Martin Luther King Jr.During the visit, the WZO representatives were moved by how knowledgeable the student body was about Israel."It is moving and amazing to see that even outside the Jewish communities, there is admiration and respect for Herzl, including the recognition that he was an inspirational leader of international stature," Yehoshua-Braverman said.
