Read the text and answer the questions

Biography of Theodor Herzl

Was a young Theodor interested in Judaism?

Theodor Herzl was born in Budapest, Hungary in the year 1860. As a child he received little Jewish education and his family had little interest in Jewish affairs. When he was eighteen, he went to Vienna. There he decided to learn the law.

What situation made Theodor think about Jews?

While still a university student, he started to think about all the troubles and suffering of the Jewish people. In those days, Jews in countries such as Russia, Poland and Rumania, had to live in special towns and could not leave them without permission. It was difficult to go to college. Often, pogroms (anti-Jewish riots) endangered their lives.

Where was his main success?

Although he did become a lawyer, Herzl really wanted to be a writer of books, plays and articles for newspapers. He turned to literature and, slowly, started to climb the ladder of success. By the time he was thirty-five, he was a well-known writer for a very famous Viennese newspaper.

What was Dreyfus accused of?

Herzl lived for a time as a reporter in Paris. There he covered the story of Captain Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French Army, who was falsely accused of being a spy. Because he was a Jew, Dreyfus was found "guilty" and sent to prison on Devil’s Island. Herzl was shocked by the outcome and wondered whether there was any way he could help Dreyfus and all the Jews who suffered simply because they were Jews.

What was his main believe?

For weeks he could not think of anything else. Finally a solution came to him. He sat down and wrote out his ideas in the form of a small book which he called "THE JEWISH STATE." Herzl believed that the Jewish people should go back to their homeland, from which they had been driven out two thousand years before. In Palestine (as it was then called), they would form their own state and all other nations would begin to respect Jews everywhere as their equals and would no longer harm them.

What was the purpose of the Congress?

Slowly, Jews throughout the world - in Russia, Poland, Germany, France, England and America - heard about Herzl’s idea. In 1897, when Herzl was 37 years old, several countries, met in Basle, Switzerland. They discussed how they would implement Herzl’s plan. This historic gathering, known as the First "Zionist Congress," established the World Zionist Organization.

At first, there were many people who laughed at the whole suggestion; but Herzl did not give up. He visited manygreat people - the Sultan of Turkey, the Kaiser of Germany, the Pope - to try and persuade them to help. He also came to England and met the Foreign Secretary.

Herzl knew that it would not be enough just to have a Jewish country. The country must be highly developed both industrially and agriculturally. Herzl worked hard. With so much to do, he felt short of time. All this hard work made him tired and ill. When he was only forty-four years old he died. But the work he had done was successful. Just forty-four years after his death, the State of Israel was founded.

Answer the following question

  1. When was the first Aliyah made?
  2. What was Herzl’s main idea?
  3. What was his profession?
  4. Why did Dreyfus story shock T. Herzl?
  5. When was a Jewish state found?
  1. Fill in the chart according to the text.

Dates / Places / Professions / Famous people

3. Fill in the ID card

Name: ______

Last name: ______

Education: ______

Date of Birth: ______

Where did he live? ______

What were his interests: ______

4.Find the meaning of the words

a. accused / ___proposal, recommendation
b. suffering / ___one who has been charged with a crime, one who has been blamed
c. suggestion / ___establish, institute, create, build
d. develop / ___matter, deal, concern
e. founded / ___to enlarge
f. affairs / ___distress, hardship, pain, agony

Write the letter to Herzl! Tell him what do you think about his ideas

Read the Dialogue and fill in missing sentences

Herzl: We must have a homeland for the Jewish people. Jews are in danger in many courtries. There are pogroms in Russia. We need a safe place where Jews can live.

Zionist: But the Turks are in Palestine now. We asked the Sultan and he said no. We cannot have a state of our own there.

Herzl: The British will let us have a Jewish state in Uganda.

Zionist 2: Uganda in Africa?

Herzl:. ______

Ussishkin: Never, Never, Never! Uganda is not our home. The Bible says that the Land of Israel not Uganda belongs to the Jewish people.

Zionist1: ______

Herzl: Yes, Israel the Promised Land, but we can go to Uganda for a short time, until we are allowed to go to Israel. We will be safe in Uganda. It’s better than nothing.

Zionist 2: ______

Zionist 1&2: No to Uganda! Only Israel! Long live Israel! Longs live the Land of Israel!

Herzl: ______

1.Yes you are right. Israel is our homeland. “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose it cunning”

2. Yes, Ussishki is right! For 2.000 years we dreamt about the Land of Israel. We can’t go to Africa or anywhere else, only Israel.

3. No If we go to Uganda, we will never get to Israel.

4.Yes, Why not? It’s safe there