Jewish leaders from the United States will go to Basel, Switzerland this week with the American Zionist Movement (AZM) to mark the 125th anniversary of Theodor Herzl’s first Zionist Congress.
A global gathering will be held in Basel on August 28-29, in the same Stadtcasino concert hall, and 125 years to the day, after Herzl assembled world Jewry there in 1897 to launch the modern Zionist movement. The events in Basel, arranged by the World Zionist Organization, will include a Gala to be in the presence of H.E. Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel; a Leadership Conference focusing on modern Zionism in light of Herzl’s vision; and The Herzl Social Impact Summit hosting 125 young entrepreneurs to collaborate on addressing worldwide issues. Details are at: https://125fzc.org/
Five Americans attended the first Zionist Congress in 1897, among over 200 participants from 17 countries.
Deborah Isaac, AZM President, and Herbert Block, AZM Executive Director, said: “American Jewry has been part of the Zionist movement from the beginning and AZM is continuing that legacy today. It is especially important that many young leaders are going to Basel, showing the ongoing relevance of Zionism. Herzl convened a broad coalition to lead the effort to establish a modern Jewish state in our ancestral land of Israel. 125 years later, Zionism remains very much alive, connecting Jews worldwide with our homeland and supporting the State of Israel.”
