Theodor herzl

DIASPORA AFFAIRS: On August 29, 1897, Theodor Herzl convened in Basel the First Zionist Congress. One hundred and twenty-five years later, the WZO chose to commemorate the congress.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast with Yaakov Katz and Lahav Harkov.

Time will tell if the next great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes and educators come from the Herzl School of Excellence, but of one thing I am sure...”if they will it, it is not a dream.” 

Wisely speaking in Hebrew, even though much of the 125th anniversary of Herzl’s First Zionist Congress this week transpired in English, Herzog was at his best.

Theodor Herzl said, "At Basel, I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be greeted by universal laughter."

Zionism and the state of Israel means a lot to the Jewish people, why?

We cannot guarantee a secure Jewish future without strong efforts to push back against the extreme anti-Zionism rampant in many countries and seeping into international forums.

Remember the ones who argued with you about whether it makes sense to wear a frock and a tie at 10 in the morning? Their great-grandchildren wear jeans and a T-shirt to work.

We need a new Herzl and a new Zionist Congress, not for the purpose of establishing a state or defining identity, but to breathe the spirit of solidarity and Jewish brotherhood into an era of strife.

In introducing Herzl to the next generation, I learned some defining lessons from the 1897 Zionist Congress. These insights should shape the debate we need today.