This week marks 70 years since the transfer of the bones of Visionary of the State Theodor Herzl for second burial in Jerusalem. On Thursday, a special exhibition on the subject will open at the Herzl Center.
Prof. Doron Bar, president of the Schechter Institute for Judaism, explains why he thinks the visionary of the state has been somewhat forgotten by the Israeli public.
"After his burial in 1949, the masses of Israel arrived at the site. At that time Herzl was a connecting axis between the old and new Israelis, among the immigrants who came from all the places of exile. His figure was that of an ancestor who made us all Israelis."
"Over the years we forgot about him and the energy and attention were diverted elsewhere. In 1967, after the Six Day War, attention was diverted to the holy and historic places and then we stopped visiting the grave and also stopped thinking about him a bit. It's a shame, because his vision of a Jewish and democratic state is very lacking in today’s Israel. Today, I think it is not only important to visit his grave but also to think about his perceptions," Professor Bar told Arutz Sheva.
He said, "I come every year, a couple of times with my students to Mount Herzl - and parts of this area are bustling - but most of the times I come to Herzl's grave the place is empty. It makes me sad."
"This important man should have a much more central place in our lives as Israelis. One of the things I do is raise awareness of Mount Herzl and its importance and encourage people to visit Herzl's grave."