Theodor Herzl and American Jews: The untold story of a Zionist bond that changed history

Theodor Herzl, the visionary behind the World Zionist movement, forged a connection with American Jewry that profoundly shaped history, despite never setting foot on US soil. His influence, particularly following the publication of "Altneuland," resonated through American publications and communities, even as American Jewry remained largely isolationist in the early 20th century.

Several milestones highlight this transatlantic bond. A Jewish US Army chaplain, Oscar Lifshutz, orchestrated the significant act of disinterring Herzl and his parents' remains from Vienna to be flown to Israel in 1949, accompanied by an honor guard. This gesture underscores the deep respect and connection felt by some American Jews towards Herzl's legacy.

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if you will it, it is no dream.

Furthermore, Herzl had plans to visit the United States before his untimely death in 1904. His passing was marked by a large memorial service at New York's Carnegie Hall, drawing crowds that filled the venue and extended into the streets. The first comprehensive English report of the 1897 First Zionist Congress was published by Rosa Sonnenschein in her magazine, "The American Jewess," demonstrating early engagement with Herzl's movement.

Herzl's death also galvanized American Zionists, who successfully lobbied to have the Magen David flag flown publicly for the first time in the US at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. While Herzl's call for a homeland resonated, the article notes that American Jewry has historically not been inspired to make aliyah in great numbers, though this narrative is beginning to shift.

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But we wish to give the Jews a homeland. Not by dragging them ruthlessly out of their sustaining soil but by removing them carefully, roots and all, to a better terrain.