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The First Zionist Congress ( he, הקונגרס הציוני הראשון) was the inaugural
congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
of the Zionist Organization (ZO) held in Basel (Basle), from August 29 to August 31, 1897. 208 delegates and 26 press correspondents attended the event. It was convened and chaired by
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
, the founder of the modern Zionism movement. The Congress formulated a Zionist platform, known as the
Basel program The Basel Program was the first manifesto of the Zionist movement, drafted between 27-30 August 1897 and adopted unanimously at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland on 30 August 1897. In 1951 it was replaced by the Jerusalem Pro ...
, and founded the Zionist Organization. It also adopted the
Hatikvah Hatikvah ( he, הַתִּקְוָה, haTīqvā, ; ) is the national anthem of the State of Israel. Part of 19th-century Jewish poetry, the theme of the Romantic composition reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jewish people to return t ...
as its anthem (already the anthem of
Hovevei Zion Hovevei Zion ( he, חובבי ציון, lit. ''hose who areLovers of Zion''), also known as Hibbat Zion ( he, חיבת ציון), refers to a variety of organizations which were founded in 1881 in response to the Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russi ...
and later to become the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
of the
State of Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
). The conference was covered by the international press, making a significant impression; the publicity subsequently inspired the antisemitic forgery ''
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' () or ''The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion'' is a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. The hoax was plagiarized from several ...
''.


History

The first Zionist Congress was convened by
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
as a symbolic parliament for the small minority of
Jewry Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in agreement with the implementation of
Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
goals. While Jewish majority indifference or opposition to Zionism would continue until after revelation of the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
in World War II, some proponents point to several directions and streams of this early Jewish opposition. "Alongside the dynamic development of the Zionist movement, which generated waves of enthusiasm throughout the Jewish public, sharp criticism began to appear about Zionism, claiming that Zionism could not hope to resolve the Jewish problem and would only serve to harm the status of Jewish laborers and sabotage its own recognition as an independent class." As a result of the vocal opposition by both the Orthodox and
Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
community leadership, the Congress, which was originally planned in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, was transferred to
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (B ...
by Herzl.Nili Kadary
Herzl and the Zionist Movement: From Basle to Uganda - Background Text
JAFI, 2002
The Congress took place in the concert hall of the Stadtcasino Basel on August 29, 1897. Proceedings were conducted in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
.


Delegates

Herzl acted as chairperson of the Congress, which was attended by some 200 participants from seventeen countries, 69 of whom were delegates from various Zionist societies, and the remainder were individual invitees. Seventeen women attended the Congress, some of them in their own capacity, others accompanying representatives. While women participated in the First Zionist Congress, they did not have voting rights; they were accorded full membership rights at the
Second Zionist Congress The Second World Zionist Congress (Hebrew: הקונגרס הציוני השני) met in Basel, Switzerland on 28 August 1898. and was the second meeting of the Zionist Organisation. The World Zionist Congress brought together delegates from ac ...
, the following year. Over half the delegates were from Eastern Europe, with nearly a quarter coming from Russia. Herzl was elected President of the Congress, with Max Nordau, Abraham Salz and
Samuel Pineles Samuel Pineles ( he, שמואל פינלס; 23 July 1843, in Brody, Galicia, Austrian Empire – 1928, in Galați, Romania) was a philanthropist and Religious Zionist activist. He was the driving force behind the 1881 Romanian Zionist meeting in ...
elected first, second and third Vice Presidents respectively.


Agenda

Following a festive opening in which the representatives arrived in formal dress, tails and
white tie White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal in traditional evening western dress codes. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a wh ...
, the Congress moved to the agenda. The principal items on the agenda were the presentation of Herzl's plans, the establishment of the Zionist Organization and the declaration of Zionism's goals-the
Basel program The Basel Program was the first manifesto of the Zionist movement, drafted between 27-30 August 1897 and adopted unanimously at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland on 30 August 1897. In 1951 it was replaced by the Jerusalem Pro ...
. According to the 200-page Official Protocol, the three-day conference included the following events:


Day 1: Sunday 29 August

#
Karpel Lippe Karpel Lippe (1830-1915) was a Jewish physician in the Romanian city of Iași and a lifelong Zionist. He participated in the First Zionist Congress as its president.The Hope Fulfilled: The Rise of Modern Israel By Leslie Stein, Greenwood Publishin ...
, Jassy delegate, opening speech #
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
, speech # Max Nordau, Paris delegate, speech # Abraham Salz, speech #
Jacob de Haas Jacob de Haas (13 August 1872 – 21 March 1937) was a British-born Jewish journalist and an early leader of the Zionist movement in the United States. Biography Jacob De Haas was born in London. He was the secretary of the First Zionist Congress ...
, speech # Jacques Bahar, speech #
Samuel Pineles Samuel Pineles ( he, שמואל פינלס; 23 July 1843, in Brody, Galicia, Austrian Empire – 1928, in Galați, Romania) was a philanthropist and Religious Zionist activist. He was the driving force behind the 1881 Romanian Zionist meeting in ...
,
Galați Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most pa ...
delegate, speech # Alexander Mintz, Vienna delegate, speech # Mayer Ebner, speech # Dr. Rudolf Schauer,
Bingen am Rhein Bingen am Rhein () is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The settlement's original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant "hole in the rock", a description of the shoal behind the ''Mäuseturm'', k ...
delegate, speech # Professor
Gregor Belkovsky Zvi Hirsch Gregor Belkovsky (RU: Григорий Александрович Белковский) (1865, Odessa, Russian Empire - 1948, Tel Aviv) was a jurist, political economist, one of the leaders of the Bulgarian Zionists and an organizer for ...
, Sofia delegate, speech # János Rónai, Blaj delegate, speech #
Adam Rosenberg Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
, New York delegate, speech # Nathan Birnbaum, Vienna delegate, speech # David Farbstein, Zurich delegate, speech


Day 2: Monday 30 August

# The President, and moderated discussion # Dr.
Max Bodenheimer Max Isidor Bodenheimer ( he, מקס בודנהיימר; 12 March 1865 in Stuttgart – 19 July, 1940 in Jerusalem) was a lawyer and one of the main figures in German Zionism. An associate of Theodor Herzl, he was the first president of the Zioni ...
, Cologne delegate, speech # Group discussion # Jacob Bernstein-Kohan, speech # M. Moses, speech


Day 3: Tuesday 31 August

# Dr. Kaminka, speech #
Adam Rosenberg Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
, speech #
Mordecai Ehrenpreis Mordecai Ehrenpreis (25 June 1869 – 26 February 1951) was a Hebrew author, publisher and Zionist activist. From 1914 until his death he served as chief rabbi of Stockholm. Biography Mordechai (Marcus) Ehrenpreis was born in Lviv. As a young man, ...
, speech # Group discussion


First Zionist Executive

The "Zionist Executive" elected by the First Congress consisted of: *Vienna (5):
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
, Moses Schnirer, Oser Kokesch,
Johann Kremenezky Johann Kremenezky (also Kremenetski) (Hebrew: יונה קרמנצקי) February 15, 1850 – October 25, 1934, was a Zionist industrialist, electrical engineer, founder of the Jewish National Fund, and personal secretary and adviser to Theodor ...
and Alexander Mintz (the latter in place of Nathan Birmbaum) *
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
(other than Galicia and Bukovina) (1): Dr. Sigmund Kornfeld *
Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
(2): Abraham Salz, Abraham Adolf Korkis *
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter Berge ...
(1): Mayer Ebner *Russia (4): Rabbi
Samuel Mohilever Samuel Mohilever (1824 – 1898), also Shmuel Mohilever, was a rabbi, pioneer of Religious Zionism and one of the founders of the Hovevei Zion movement. Biography Mohilever was born in Głębokie (now Hlybokaye, Belarus) and studied in the Volo ...
, Prof. Max E. Mandelstamm, Jacob Bernstein-Kohan, Isidor Jasinowski *France (2):
Bernard Lazare Bernard Lazare (14 June 1865, Nîmes – 1 September 1903, Paris) was a French literary critic, political journalist, polemicist, and anarchist. He was also among the first Dreyfusards. Life Lazare's initial contact with symbolists introduced h ...
, Jacques Bahar *Romania (2): Karl Lippe,
Samuel Pineles Samuel Pineles ( he, שמואל פינלס; 23 July 1843, in Brody, Galicia, Austrian Empire – 1928, in Galați, Romania) was a philanthropist and Religious Zionist activist. He was the driving force behind the 1881 Romanian Zionist meeting in ...
*Bulgaria and Servia (1): Prof.
Gregor Belkovsky Zvi Hirsch Gregor Belkovsky (RU: Григорий Александрович Белковский) (1865, Odessa, Russian Empire - 1948, Tel Aviv) was a jurist, political economist, one of the leaders of the Bulgarian Zionists and an organizer for ...
*Germany (2): Rabbi
Isaac Rülf Isaac (Yitzhak) Rülf (February 10, 1831 – September 18, 1902) was a Jewish teacher, journalist and philosopher. He became widely known for his aid work and as a prominent early Zionist. Rülf was born in Rauischholzhausen, Hesse, German ...
,
Max Bodenheimer Max Isidor Bodenheimer ( he, מקס בודנהיימר; 12 March 1865 in Stuttgart – 19 July, 1940 in Jerusalem) was a lawyer and one of the main figures in German Zionism. An associate of Theodor Herzl, he was the first president of the Zioni ...
In addition, it was agreed that one representative was to be appointed for each of Britain, America and Palestine. This was proposed to take place later at publicly convened assemblies.


Basel Program

On the second day of its deliberations (August 30), the version submitted to the Congress by a committee under the
chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vari ...
of Max Nordau, it was stated: "
Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
seeks to establish a home for the
Jewish people Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in Palestine secured under public law." This gave clear expression to Herzl's political Zionist vision, in contrast with the settlement orientated activities of the more loosely organized
Hovevei Zion Hovevei Zion ( he, חובבי ציון, lit. ''hose who areLovers of Zion''), also known as Hibbat Zion ( he, חיבת ציון), refers to a variety of organizations which were founded in 1881 in response to the Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russi ...
. To meet halfway the request of numerous delegates, the most prominent of whom was
Leo Motzkin Leo Motzkin (also ''Mozkin''; 1867 – 7 November 1933) was a Ukrainian Zionist leader. A leader of the World Zionist Congress and numerous Jewish and Zionist organizations, Motzkin was a key organizer of the Jewish delegation to the 1919 Paris ...
, who sought the inclusion of the phrase "by international law," a compromise formula proposed by Herzl was eventually adopted. The program, which came to be known as the
Basel Program The Basel Program was the first manifesto of the Zionist movement, drafted between 27-30 August 1897 and adopted unanimously at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland on 30 August 1897. In 1951 it was replaced by the Jerusalem Pro ...
, set out the goals of the Zionist movement. It was adopted on the following terms: According to
Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of cultural Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and be ...
it was Max Nordau who came up with the phrase "a publicly and legally assured home" to avoid antagonising the
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
"too deeply".


Achievements

The First Zionist Congress is credited for the following achievements: * The formulation of the Zionist platform, (the Basel program, above) * The foundation of the Zionist Organization * The adoption of
Hatikvah Hatikvah ( he, הַתִּקְוָה, haTīqvā, ; ) is the national anthem of the State of Israel. Part of 19th-century Jewish poetry, the theme of the Romantic composition reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jewish people to return t ...
as its anthem * The absorption of most of the previous
Hovevei Zion Hovevei Zion ( he, חובבי ציון, lit. ''hose who areLovers of Zion''), also known as Hibbat Zion ( he, חיבת ציון), refers to a variety of organizations which were founded in 1881 in response to the Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russi ...
societies * The suggestion for the establishment of a people's bank, and * The election of Herzl as President of the Zionist Organization and Max Nordau one of three vice-presidents.
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
wrote in his diary (September 3, 1897): Subsequent congresses founded various institutions for the promotion of this program, notably a people's bank known as the
Jewish Colonial Trust Bank Leumi ( he, בנק לאומי, lit. ''National Bank''; ar, بنك لئومي) is an Israeli bank. It was founded on February 27, 1902, in Jaffa as the ''Anglo Palestine Company'' as subsidiary of the Jewish Colonial Trust (Jüdische Kolonia ...
, which was the financial instrument of political Zionism. Its establishment was suggested at the First Zionist Congress in 1897; the first definite steps toward its institution were taken at the Second Zionist Congress in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
in May, 1898. For the Fifth Zionist Congress, the
Jewish National Fund Jewish National Fund ( he, קֶרֶן קַיֶּימֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Keren Kayemet LeYisrael'', previously , ''Ha Fund HaLeumi'') was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Syria (later Mandatory Palestine, and subsequ ...
was founded for the purchase of land in Palestine and later the Zionist Commission was founded with subsidiary societies for the study and improvement of the social and economic condition of the Jews within the Land of Israel. The Zionist Commission was an informal group established by
Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israel ...
. It carried out initial surveys of Palestine and aided the repatriation of Jews sent into exile by the Ottoman Turks during World War I. It expanded the ZO's Palestine office, which was established in 1907, into small departments for agriculture, settlement, education, land, finance, immigration, and statistics. In 1921, the commission became the Palestine Zionist Executive, which acted as the
Jewish Agency The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
, to advise the British mandate authorities on the development of the country in matters of Jewish interest. The Zionist Congress met every year between 1897 and 1901, then except for war years, every second year (1903–1913, 1921–1939). In 1942, an " Extraordinary Zionist Conference" was held and announced a fundamental departure from traditional
Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
policyAmerican Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944
Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214
with its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth."
Michael Oren Michael Bornstein Oren (Hebrew: מיכאל אורן; born Michael Scott Bornstein; May 20, 1955) is an American-born Israeli historian, author, politician, former ambassador to the United States (2009–2013), former member of the Knesset for ...
, ''Power, Faith and Fantasy'', Decision at Biltmore, pp 442-445
It became the official Zionist stand on the ultimate aim of the movement. Since the Second World War, meetings have been held approximately every four years and since the creation of the
State of Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, the Congress has been held in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.


Gallery

Image:Participant card at the First Zionist Congress.jpg, A participant card from the event. Image:Symbol of the First Congress.jpg, The symbol of the First Congress. File:Flag of the First Zionist Congress 1897.svg, The flag of the First Zionist Congress File:Bodenheimer's and Herzl's drafts of the Zionist flag, compared to the final version used at the First Zionist Congress.png,
Max Bodenheimer Max Isidor Bodenheimer ( he, מקס בודנהיימר; 12 March 1865 in Stuttgart – 19 July, 1940 in Jerusalem) was a lawyer and one of the main figures in German Zionism. An associate of Theodor Herzl, he was the first president of the Zioni ...
's (top left) and Herzl's (top right) 1897 drafts of the Zionist flag, compared to the final version used at the congress


See also

*
Types of Zionism The principal common goal of Zionism was to establish a homeland for the Jewish people. Zionism was produced by various philosophers representing different approaches concerning the objective and path that Zionism should follow. Political Zioni ...
*
World Zionist Congress The Zionist Congress was established in 1897 by Theodor Herzl as the supreme organ of the Zionist Organization (ZO) and its legislative authority. In 1960 the names were changed to World Zionist Congress ( he, הקונגרס הציוני העו ...
* Zionist Organization, renamed World Zionist Organization in 1960 *
Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...


References


Bibliography

*
The Jewish Encyclopedia: Basel Program
{{Zionism, state=collapsed Jews and Judaism in Basel World Zionist Congress
Zionists Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Jew ...
1897 conferences 1897 in Switzerland History of Basel