From Zemun to Mount Herzl: The final journey of the visionary of the state's grandparents | Avivit Bar-Ilan
After more than a hundred years at the cemetery in Zemun, Serbia, the remains of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the visionary of the state, were brought to Israel and buried on Mount Herzl in an extraordinary diplomatic operation that closed a historical circle.
28 years ago, I joined the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a young diplomat. Throughout my years in the foreign service, I never imagined that one day I would be required to take part in such an extraordinary mission, a mission for which no cadet course prepared me: to carry out, together with the Israeli Consul in Serbia, Limor Nissim-Sitton, and the embassy team in Belgrade, the operation to bring for burial on Mount Herzl the remains of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the visionary of the state, who had rested for over a hundred years in the Jewish cemetery in Zemun. This extraordinary event took place here in Serbia a few weeks ago.
The plan sounded almost like a fictional script: digging up the graves, removing the remains, transferring them to coffins, and flying them to Israel for a state burial ceremony.
It all started a week earlier, when Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, and Matan Bar-Noy, the organization's representative in Europe, called and announced: "The die is cast. Accelerated preparations for opening the graves must begin as early as next week."
We immediately harnessed ourselves to the task. In close cooperation with the head of the Jewish community in Zemun, Nand Fogel, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' protocol department, we began to act on all fronts. We acted out of a sense of mission, great awe, and deep pride for the privilege of taking part in a historical moment for the Jewish people.
When I approached the Foreign Minister of Serbia, Marko Djuric, he immediately recognized the important historical significance of the event. Out of great respect for the occasion, he informed me that the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would organize a state farewell ceremony at the airport.
On the day of the excavation, we arrived at the cemetery in Zemun in an expanded group, alongside the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, his deputy Dr. Yizhar Hess, Matan Bar-Noy, the historian Dr. Ariel Feldstein, and the Consul Limor Nissim-Sitton. A team of experts from the ZAKA organization began the work of excavation and location. The joy and excitement at the moment the remains were located were indescribable. We held a short ceremony on the spot, the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization recited Kaddish, and we sang "Hatikvah" together, the national anthem.
The next day, we said goodbye to Shimon and Rivka Herzl at an emotional state ceremony at the airport with the participation of Foreign Minister Djuric, in the presence of an honor guard and representatives of the Jewish community, before the coffins were loaded onto an El Al flight. In my remarks at the ceremony, I thanked the government of Serbia and said that the occasion reflects the deep bond between our peoples: relations built not only on diplomacy, but on mutual trust, shared history and destiny, and true friendship.
In the town of Zemun, the roots of the Herzl family were planted. Here, Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, one of the heralds of Zionism, was active, and here the ideas of national revival developed, which formed the spiritual foundation for the vision of Theodor Herzl. The connection between Zemun and Jerusalem is a central chapter in the story of our revival.
In his will, Theodor Herzl requested that his remains and the remains of his family members be brought and buried in the soil of the Jewish state. By bringing Shimon and Rivka to their final resting place in Jerusalem, we closed a historical circle and reconnected the roots in Zemun with the magnificent tree that grew from them in the Land of Israel.
This operation is further evidence of the brave and historical alliance between the Jewish people and the Serbian people – two peoples who walked shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult moments. The support, friendship, and solidarity of Serbia for Israel in times of trouble will never be forgotten.
The author is the Israeli Ambassador to Serbia.
When Shimon and Rivka set out on their final journey to Mount Herzl, I remembered the immortal words of their grandson: "If you will it, it is no dream."
