Today is Herzl Day, the 148th birthday of the visionary of the modern Jewish state. A survey of 500 university students in Israel shows incredible boorishness about his accomplishments.

The survey, in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire, was conducted  by statistician Dr. Hallel Cohen for the Herzl Council in the Prime Minister's Office. It shows a small improvement over what university students knew about Binyamin Ze'ev (Theodor) Herzl three years ago - yet still, a full 73% did not know what ideas he actually worked to promote.

Asked what was the most important idea he worked to convince the British to adopt, only 27% chose the correct answer, "promotion of the idea that later became the Balfour Declaration."  The others either admitted they didn't know, chose answers that were historically inapplicable, or were otherwise wrong. Over a quarter said he worked to nullify the White Papers [the first one of which was written 18 years after his death].  Another 10% thought he tried to end the British Mandate - which, in actuality, did not even begin until 13 years after his death.

Nearly 50% could not identify Herzl as the author of Altneuland (Old New Land, translated into English as "The Jewish State"), one of the most important Zionist works. This is an improvement over three years ago, however, when 61% did not know this fact.

Some 17% thought that Herzl, a totally assimilated Jew, wanted Israel to be a state founded on Jewish Law.  This finding matched those of three years ago. In fact, however, he believed that Israel should be secular , with some identifying characteristics of Jewish values.

Herzl "Founded the Jewish State" in 1898

Israel commemorated Herzl Day for the first time in 2005, after legislation was passed rendering the 10th day of the month of Iyar a national day of commemoration of the man who forged and worked for the idea of the modern State of Israel. After he headed the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, he wrote in his diary, “In Basel, I founded the Jewish State... If I said this aloud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. Perhaps in five years, and certainly in fifty, everyone will agree.” On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to establish a Jewish state in Palestine.

A review of rabbinical and other opinions, such as those of Rabbi A. I. Kook, about Herzl can be read here