The remains of Theodor Herzl's grandparents, Shimon and Rivka Herzl, who helped inspire the founder of modern Zionism, will be brought from Belgrade to Israel in the coming days and reburied alongside Herzl on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
According to a report in Israel Hayom, a state ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of Herzl's reburial in Jerusalem will coincide with the transfer of the remains. The event will include a formal funeral ceremony attended by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Herzl's grandparents, Shimon and Rivka Herzl, played a pivotal role in shaping the identity and worldview of the visionary of the Jewish state.
Throughout his life, they served as a major source of inspiration for his Zionist aspirations and helped guide him toward formulating his historic vision.
Herzl's grandfather, Rabbi Shimon, was the only one of his brothers who remained faithful to Judaism and did not convert to Christianity. He strengthened Herzl's Jewish national identity, served as a synagogue warden at the Sephardic synagogue in the Jewish community of Zemun, and was particularly close to Rabbi Yehuda Shlomo Alkalai, one of the earliest forerunners of Zionism.
The two maintained a close relationship, and Rabbi Shimon enthusiastically promoted the idea of establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel within his community. During his visits to Budapest, he would passionately share with his young grandson the teachings and vision of Rabbi Alkalai regarding the resettlement of the Land of Israel-ideas that later directly inspired Herzl's own writings.