Two memoranda issued by municipal committees – one from Haifa, the other from Jerusalem – calling for the establishment of the site of Theodor Herzl's grave in their respective cities; delivered to members of the 19th Zionist Congress in Lucerne, Switzerland. Haifa and Jerusalem, 1935.
• Memorandum issued by the "Haifa Committee to Bring the Remains of Dr. Binyamin Ze'ev [Theodor] Herzl of Blessed Memory to Palestine, " calling for the establishment of a burial site for Theodor Herzl on Mt. Carmel. Addressed to Nahum Sokolow, President of the World Zionist Organization and signed (Hebrew, in print) "Struck" [Hermann Struck], "Kaplansky" [President of the Technion (Institute of Technology) Shlomo Kaplansky?], "Soloveichik" [Max Soloveichik?], and "Peli." July 21, 1935.
[3] ff. + stapled note (in Hebrew: "All material here is solely for purposes of private communication and is not to be published under any circumstances!"), 26.5 cm.
• Memorandum issued by the "Committee of the Jewish Community Jerusalem, "calling for the establishment of a burial site for Theodor Herzl in Jerusalem. Hand signed (Hebrew) by Eliyahu Hacarmeli and other representatives; two copies, one addressed in handwriting to Rabbi Moshe HaMeiri Ostrovsky. August 4, 1935.
[1] f. + [2] appendices (one f. each), 28 cm.
Theodor Herzl never provided any written indication as to where he wished to be buried; all he wrote in his will was that "I wish to be buried in a metal coffin next to my father, and to remain there until the Jewish people will transfer my remains to Eretz Israel."
After his passing, a heated argument broke out among members of the Zionist movement regarding the proper location for the burial site; would it be Jerusalem, destined to serve as the capital of the future Jewish state, or Haifa, where, according to various accounts, Herzl actually hoped to be buried? (The main protagonist of Herzl's novel, "Altneuland" explicitly states his will to be buried on Mt. Carmel, "overlooking our beloved land and sea.") Not until 1948 did a joint panel – of representatives of the Knesset, the Zionist leadership, the Jewish National Fund, and Keren HaYesod, along with members of the First Zionist Congress – determine that Jerusalem, in the end, would be the appropriate place of burial.
Overall good condition. Some stains, creases, and minor tears to edges. Fold lines.
