After decades in Serbia: The remains of Herzl's grandfather will be brought to Israel
The World Zionist Organization executive has approved the repatriation of the remains of Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl from Serbia for burial in the family plot on Mount Herzl, in a festive state ceremony to be attended by the country's leaders and senior public figures.
Today, Monday, a historic decision was made at the meeting of the World Zionist Organization executive to bring to Israel the remains of Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl, the grandfather and grandmother of the visionary of the state, Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl, who were originally buried in Serbia.
The transfer of the remains and their reburial in the family plot on Mount Herzl constitutes a national and family closure of a circle, reuniting the members of the Herzl family in the very heart of the State of Israel. The state burial ceremony will be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, exactly 77 years since the remains of Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl were brought to their final rest in Jerusalem in 1949.
All the heads of state and the top echelon of the State of Israel are expected to participate in the ceremony: President of the State Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, members of the World Zionist Organization executive, and senior public figures.
This constitutes a historic gesture and a deep connection to the spiritual roots of Zionism. Herzl drew inspiration from his grandfather, Shimon Leib Herzl, who served as a baal tokea (shofar blower) in the synagogue of the herald of Zionism, Rabbi Yehuda Shlomo Alkalai, connecting the generations, between the world of Jewish tradition and the modern vision of the return to Zion.
