Reburial of Herzl’s grandparents in J'lem to fulfill visionary of Zionism’s last wish

The remains of Theodor Herzl’s paternal grandparents, Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl, have been exhumed from a Jewish cemetery in Zemun, Serbia, and are being transferred to Israel for reburial. An official state ceremony is scheduled for August 5 on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, with attendance expected from senior Israeli leadership, including President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This reinterment fulfills Herzl’s last wish to bring his close family members to Jerusalem after the establishment of a Jewish state. Herzl’s own remains, along with those of his parents, sister, children, and grandson, were previously reinterred on Mount Herzl. Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, stated, “Herzl’s grandparents are finally coming home to rest beside their grandson, in the heart of Jerusalem.” Shimon Leib Herzl, a shofar blower, is noted as an inspiration for Herzl, having served in the synagogue of Rabbi Judah Alkalai, an early proponent of political Zionism.