Theodor Herzl and the American Jewish Connection: A Legacy of Zionist Collaboration

The 20th of Tamuz (July 20) marks the 102nd yahrzeit of Theodor Herzl, the founder of the World Zionist movement.

In the seven years of his active advocacy, Herzl laid the groundwork that eventually made a Jewish state a reality. Though largely unknown among Jewish circles in Europe and the United States until the publication of his book Altneuland (“The Old-New Land”), he united secular and religious Jews with world leaders and supportive Christians around his vision. His conviction that “if you will it, it is no dream” remains an enduring rallying call.

Much of Herzl’s influence was felt in the United States, where American Jewry was then largely isolationist. I have chosen to highlight key milestones in this relationship in honor of the anniversary of his death.

Were you surprised when U.S. President Barack Obama visited Herzl’s grave twice? Did you know that a Jewish U.S. Army chaplain, Oscar Lifshutz, arranged for the disinterment of Herzl and his parents in Vienna so they could be flown to Israel by an honor guard in August 1949? Were you aware that Herzl had planned to travel to the United States before his sudden death in 1904? Or that a memorial service was held in Carnegie Hall, with crowds filling the rafters and tributes pouring in the streets?

Had you known that the only complete English report of the First Zionist Congress in 1897 was produced by Rosa Sonnenschein for her monthly magazine, The American Jewess? Did you hear that Herzl’s death in 1904 prompted American Zionists to lobby successfully for the first public display of the Magen David flag at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri?

Herzl’s impact—described succinctly as a cosmopolitan Viennese playwright and journalist who became the father of modern political Zionism—has persisted since his seminal work Altneuland in 1894. His voice remains a source of inspiration a century after his passing.

Although Herzl never walked on U.S. soil, American newspapers in cities such as Norfolk, Virginia; Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Atlanta, Georgia, featured his portrait and writings. In 1900, he reflected, “We wish to give the Jews a homeland, not by draggingონომ out of their sustaining soil but by moving them carefully—roots and all—to a better terrain.”

Herzl’s definition of aliyah captured the imagination of many, though American Jewry, then and now, had not fully embraced large‑scale emigration. This narrative is shifting; the Nefesh B’Nefesh program demonstrates a growing interest in aliyah among modern American Jews, reflected in rising numbers.

The first American mention of Herzl appeared in mümkin 1886 in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, a brief item on an Austrian playwright’s theatrical success. For the next eight years, there was no coverage of Herzl in the American Jewish press.

Once hisPlainbookმძღვან translated into English, American Jews took notice. Earlier efforts to purchase land in Palestine had already begun in the U.S., but subsequent settlement projects, such as those in Poriya and Ra’anana, only materialized after Herzl’s death.

At the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, only four Americans attended. Photos from that Congress show exactly four American representatives, one of them a woman. Professor Richard Gottheil, president of the Federation of American Zionists, encouraged membership to attend, but interest was limited. Gottheil later played a role in shaping key resolutions, including the selection of the land for a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael.

That woman was Rosa Sonnenschein, editor of The American Jewess, the world’s first Jewish women’s magazine. A dedicated Zionist and journalist from St. Louis, she corresponded with Herzl, received his support, and reported on the Congress in a feminist perspective. She described the meeting as “the first Jewish parliament in 2,000 years,” noting, however, the absence of female delegates.

Herzl’s early work elicited varied reactions in the American press. In 1897 an New York Times piece acknowledged that Herzl, a Viennese resident, hadacci significantly influenced Zionist debates yet was “coldly received” by those within U.S. circles.

‘Washington was their Jerusalem and America their Palestine’

American Jewish leaders in Washington represented a powerful “Our Crowd” that shaped the national conversation. An early article characterized Herzl as a man of stature whose speech on a Jewish nation in Palestine was “full，被火在” (‘full of fire’). The Times later lauded his diligence, stating he brought vigor, maturity, and varied experience to the endeavor.

While the Times praised Herzl’s diplomatic abilities and economic insight, some American Reform leaders, such as Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, expressed skepticism. Yet subsequent coverage highlighted Herzl’s global outreach, including meetings with the Pope, the Ottoman sultan, and German Kaiser, noting his steadfast commitment despite limited tangible assistance.

Herzl’s connection to contemporary figures, including Mark Twain, further illuminated his influence. Twain’s writings on the Dreyfus trial and national politics echo Herzl’s vision: a Jewish state under the sultan’s suzerainty with a self‑governance plan. These exchanges underscore the era’s intellectual cross‑pollination.

Fast forward to August 1949, fifteen months after Israel’s founding, and we see a notable event involving Herzl’s remains. Chaplain Oscar “Mike” Lifshutz, commissioned in 1945, played a pivotal role in transferring Herzl’s body fromকা Vienna to Israel. After the American authorities approved the disinterment, Lifshutz managed the details: coffins were moved from Vienna’s Stadttempel synagogue to aircraft at El Al, and escorted by IDF chaplain Rabbi Shlomo Goren.

The journey culminated on August 17, 1949, with Herzl’s burial at Mt. Herzl, where an educational center and theater now recount his life and legacy, including a section honoring Chaplain Lifshutz.

Although Herzl never personally met many American Jews, his ideas continue to inspire, especially evident in the recent surge in aliyah following the events of October 7.

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