The sunlight radiated off the shiny black tombstone, as I
stood at the grave of the father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl. Herzl was
the focal point of our excursion Thursday morning- his achievements, ideology,
and legacy. Herzl envisioned a Jewish
state and created the World Zionist Organization, which continues to foster Zionism
among diaspora Jews. Mount Herzl is the site of Israel's national cemetery and at
the top of the hill lies Theodor Herzl's tomb.
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Theordor Herzl's grave
We watched an in-depth visual presentation and film about
Herzl's life, in which each room of the museum displayed a different stage of
Herzl's life. I was trying to understand how one man could have the courage to
bring his dream to fruition. Looking
back over one hundred years since the First Zionist Congress, it is astonishing
to see that Israel,
a Jewish state Herzl envisioned, has flourished in such a short period of time.
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Later that day, we visited the graves of former prime
minister Golda Meir and the political activist Ze'ev Jabotinsky. We discussed
several quotations from each leader, and compared their views on matters such
as government and poverty.
Ze'ev Jabotinsky's grave
As I stared at the tiny pebbles that adorned Herzl's grave,
I recalled the scene in the film which showed thousands of Israelis paying homage
to their founding father when the Israeli government relocated his body to the
mountain which now bears his name, shortly after gaining independence. It was a meaningful experience to visit Herzl's grave and gave me a sense of appreciation for his contributions in building a Jewish state.
Shalom for now!
-Camille Pilar Phillips
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