Visitors to the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library will get a chance to be “up close and personal” with Theodore Herzl, considered to be the father of modern political Zionism. Herzl’s dream of a Jewish homeland, envisioned by his virulent anti-Semitic experiences, is chronicled in a paneled traveling exhibition celebrating the visionary of the Jewish State. The exhibit honors the 100th anniversary of Herzl’s death.

The exhibit, entitled “Herzl: Up Close and Personal”, consists of 28 interlocking panels of stimulating and beautifully produced visuals and texts and a visitor’s guide.

The exhibition’s panels chronicle several areas of Herzl’s life. It begins with his birth in Budapest, Hungary, his life, work, and writing in Vienna, Austria, his experiences with anti-Semitism, and his early realization of the need for a protective and proactive Jewish State.

Herzl’s blueprint for a Jewish nation, a defining event in the history of the Jewish people, began with the publication in 1896 of his book The Jewish State.

The exhibit addresses questions such as who was the man who dared to dream? What were the circumstances in which he lived, and the influences on his life that brought him to the conclusion that the only answer to the Jewish question was a Jewish State? The exhibit addresses early questions such as what would a Jewish homeland look like, how do we understand the essence of Zionism, and how do we carry on meeting the challenges and fulfilling the promise of Herzl’s vision?

The exhibit, free and open to the public, will be available from March 27-April 16 during regular library hours.

For more information, contact the Brodsky Library at 314-442-3720 or email [email protected].

The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library, the St. Louis Chapter of Technion and the Jewish Community Relations Council as part of Kaleidoscope Israel.