Herzl, King of the Jews? You Bet!
- Gil B
- May 8
- 3 min read
The man who dreamed big – and changed Jewish history.
On May 8, 2025, Israel will celebrate Herzl Day, and we’re dedicating this post to the one and only Theodor Herzl — the visionary behind the modern Jewish state.
Let’s take a quick (and fun) journey into his story.
🌍 From Budapest to Basel
Herzl was born in Budapest in 1860 to a wealthy Jewish family. After his sister passed away, the family moved to Vienna, where Herzl studied law and became a Doctor of Law. But law wasn't his real passion. What he loved was writing.
He became a journalist for a newspaper in Paris, where he covered a big scandal called the Dreyfus Affair. A Jewish army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongly accused of treason — simply because he was Jewish. Herzl realized that antisemitism wasn’t going away, even in “modern” Europe.
🤔 The “Jewish Problem” & Herzl’s Big Idea
Herzl asked: Why are Jews still treated unfairly, no matter where they live?
At the time, other Jewish thinkers had different answers:
Reform Jews wanted to change Judaism to fit into European life.
The Bund wanted Jews to stay in Europe and get cultural rights.
But Herzl thought bigger.
He believed Jews were a nation without a land, and the only real solution was to go back to their homeland and build a state of their own.
He didn’t invent Zionism, but he gave it a political engine. His idea was simple (and revolutionary): 👉 Jews are a people. 👉 Every people deserve a country. 👉 So Jews deserve a state — just like the French or English.
📣 The Zionist Movement Is Born
In 1897, Herzl organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland and created the World Zionist Organization. His goal? A Jewish state in the Land of Israel.
He wrote: "Maybe not in five years, but certainly in fifty, there will be a Jewish state." Guess what? In 1947 (exactly 50 years later), the UN voted to establish a Jewish state in part of British Palestine. Herzl wasn’t just dreaming — he was spot-on.
🧳 From Vision to Legacy
Herzl worked day and night, meeting leaders across Europe, trying to get official approval for a Jewish homeland. He didn’t succeed in his lifetime and died exhausted in 1904, at just 44 years old.
In his will, he asked to be buried in Jerusalem once a Jewish state was established. In 1949, his remains were moved to the top of Mount Herzl — now Israel’s national cemetery.
📚 Herzl the Author
Herzl wasn’t just a political leader — he was a powerful writer. Two of his key books:
The Jewish State – a political plan for building a country.
Altneuland (Old-New Land) – a novel imagining a future Jewish society built on justice and progress. The Hebrew name for the book? Tel Aviv — which later became Israel’s first modern city!
⭐ 5 Fun Herzl Facts
Every city in Israel has a Herzl Street.
Herzl’s Zionist movement gave women full voting rights — long before most countries!
In his day, many Jews saw him as a king or even the messiah.
The first all-Hebrew school was named after him.
The name Tel Aviv is inspired by his book Altneuland — “Tel” is an ancient ruin, “Aviv” means spring — past meets future!
🗺️ Herzl’s Dream Today
Zionism started as a movement to create a state. But Herzl knew that wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning.
Zionism today can mean:
Building a strong economy
Protecting the environment
Supporting women’s and minority rights
Creating great art, tourism, and culture
Strengthening defense, agriculture, and innovation
Every generation adds its own layer.
🏞️ Come Visit Mount Herzl!
Herzl is buried on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, at the top of Israel’s national cemetery. Below him are prime ministers, presidents, and IDF heroes. Nearby is Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, and the excellent Herzl Museum, which brings his story to life in just 45 minutes.
At Israel Explorers, we lead guided tours of Mount Herzl — and we’d love to show you around!
Herzl, you were right. We still believe in your dream.
“If you will it, it is no dream.”
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