Theodor Herzl

Theodor Herzl was the founder of modern political Zionism and one of the most important figures in the movement to restore Jewish national sovereignty. After witnessing European antisemitism, especially around the Dreyfus Affair in France, Herzl argued that Jews needed a recognized national home of their own. His book The Jewish State helped turn Zionism into a political movement, not just a religious or cultural hope.

In 1897, Herzl organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, where the World Zionist Organization was created. From a Jewish-history perspective, Herzl is important because he transformed the ancient longing for return to Zion into a modern diplomatic and political project that eventually helped lead to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.