Herzl grandparents' return to Mount Herzl reveals Zionism's roots through generations - editorial

The recent reburial of Theodor Herzl's grandparents, Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl, alongside their grandson on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, serves as a poignant reminder of Zionism's deep roots. While the state's institutions were largely built by secular leaders, the foundational ideas that sustained the movement were cultivated much earlier within Jewish homes and communities.

“

Dreams are not passed down through written inheritance. They are passed around the Shabbat table... in the stories a grandfather tells his grandson.

History often focuses on the prominent figures who shaped events, but the reburial draws attention to those who nurtured the environment from which these leaders emerged. Shimon Leib Herzl, though not a public figure in the Zionist movement, was the synagogue beadle in Zemun, where Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, an early advocate for Jewish national restoration, served. This connection highlights how ideas of return were discussed and fostered long before political Zionism became an organized force.

President Isaac Herzog eloquently captured this sentiment during the ceremony, observing that dreams are not inherited through documents but shared around the Shabbat table through a grandfather's stories. This reflects the enduring nature of Jewish continuity, surviving centuries of exile through the transmission of values across generations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this, describing Judaism as the bedrock of Zionism, with Herzl's grandparents' home providing the essential roots from which the movement later grew.

“

Judaism as the basis of Zionism

The reburial enriches the historical narrative of Mount Herzl, a site typically associated with presidents, prime ministers, and military commanders. It adds a layer of understanding, emphasizing that the aspirations of Zionism were nurtured in quieter, familial settings, demonstrating how foundational ideas are often passed down through ordinary conversations and familial influence, shaping the course of history in ways that are not always recorded.

“

the home of Herzl’s grandparents had provided “the roots from which the trunk, branches and fruit later grew.”