NEW: Reverend William Hechler, Theodore Herzl, and Zionism · 2020. 7. 27. · Reverend William...

A"er nearly two millennia in exile, in the late 19th and early20th centuries, a newmovement for Jewish sovereignty beganto gainworldwide trac?on: Zionism. In 1896, Theodor Herzl’sZionistpamphlet,TheJewishState, laidoutavisionthatwouldeventually culminate in the rebirth of the state of Israel. Herzlbelievedhehadananswertothenever-endingproblemofan?-Semi?smandpersecu?onfacedbyJewishpeoplewherevertheyfound themselves, throughouthistory:a safehaven for Jews intheir ancient homeland, the land of Israel. Because of his?reless work, Zionism gained poli?cal legi?macy; and Herzl’sfriend, a pastor namedReverendHechler, played an influen?alroleinsuppor?ngHerzl’svisionofamodernJewishna?on-stateinthelandofIsrael.

Reverend William Henry Hechler, who was an Anglicanclergymanwithdeeplyrootedbeliefsinthefuturerestora?onofthe Jewish people, was already an avid Zionist involved inac?vism on behalf of the Jewish people beforemee?ng Herzl.HavingdevelopedalovefortheJewishpeopleearlyoninhislifeandcareer,ReverendHechlertookeverychancehereceivedtoexpand his knowledge of the Jews and what was then calledPales?ne.In1881,inhisposi?onastheMetropolitanSecretaryoftheChurchPastoralAidSociety,ReverendHechler visited Russia, Germany, and France, and inves?gated the situa?ons of the Jews living there.

ReverendHechlerwaspar?cularlydisgustedby thewidespreadpogromsinRussia.

Stopping in Constan?nople, Reverend HechleraXempted to deliver a leXer—against an?-Semi?sm,proposing that the JewsbepermiXedtoreturntoPales?newithastateoftheirown—fromthe Queen of England to the Sultan of Turkeythrough the Bri?sh Ambassador who refused todeliver it. At that ?me, Pales?ne was underOXomanrule.

Threeyears later, in1884,ReverendHechlerwrotea trea?se en?tled, “TheRestora?onoftheJewstoPales?ne” in which he

calledfortheJewstoreturntoPales?ne.Headvocatedfortheestablishmentofthestateof IsraelastheplacepromisedbyGodtotheJewishpeople foreverastheirrigh`ulhomeland.

Oneday,in1896,ReverendHechler,whowasavoraciousreader,happenedupontherecentlypublishedDerJudenstaat(TheJewishState)byTheodoreHerzl.Herzlhad been assigned to cover the 1894 trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus—a Jewish-French military officer wrongly convicted of selling France’s military secrets toGermany.

ReverendWilliamHechler,TheodoreHerzl,andZionism

CH R I S T I A N S U N I T E D F O R I S R A E L

ACUFIPRIMER:

Dreyfuswaschosenbyauthori?estotakethefallfortheactoftreasonsolelybecausehe was Jewish. As a result, Herzl had become convinced that the only way for theJewishpeopletosurviveandul?matelythrivewastohaveastateoftheirown.Hewrote:

“IbelievethatIunderstandAn?-Semi?sm,whichisreallyahighly complex movement. I consider it from a Jewishstandpoint, yetwithout fear or hatred...I think the Jewishques?on is no more a social than a religious one... It is a

na?onal ques?on, which can only be solved by making it a poli?cal world-ques?on to be discussed and seXled by the civilized na?ons of the world incouncil.Weareapeople—onepeople.Wewanttolaythefounda?onstone,forthe housewhichwill become the refuge of the Jewish na?on. Zionism is thereturntoJudaismevenbeforethereturntothelandofIsrael.”

ReverendHechlerusedhis social connec?ons to introduceHerzltomembersofGermanroyalsocietyandthesultanofTurkeyduringthelate1800sandhelpedli"Herzl’sideaofaJewish na?onal homeland fromobscurity into the poli?caldiscourse among world leaders. The mee?ngs with worldpowers procured for Herzl by Reverend Hechler gaveZionismpoli?cal legi?macy in theeyesof theworldpress.Throughout the years, Reverend Hechler also introducedHerzl to Chris?an clergymen and leaders, and Herzl laterinvited the Reverend to the FirstWorld Zionist Conference as “thefirstChris?anZionist.”

TheodoreHerzlwrote thatReverendHechlerwas a “likeable, sensi?vemanwiththelonggreybeardofaprophet”and“themostunusualpersonIhavemetinthismovement so far.” At the age of 44, Herzl died due to preexis?ng medicalcondi?ons in addi?on to being stressed and overworked. At his bedside the daybefore his deathwas ReverendHechler.Herzl implored him: “Greet Pales?ne forme.Igavemyheart'sbloodformypeople.”HerzlalsourgedhisfellowZionistsnot

to forget thecontribu?onReverendHechlermadetotheZionistmovement.

Today,dueinlargeparttoReverendHechler,TheodoreHerzlisknownasthefather of modern Zionism. Together, he and Reverend Hechler birthed amovement that culminated in the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948, amiracle in history accomplished by God through the vision and steadfastperseverance of a Jew and a Chris?an working shoulder-to-shoulder inpursuitofasinglegoal.