WATCH: How Theodor Herzl Pioneered the Zionist Dream of a Jewish State

Learn about Zionist leader Theodor Herzl, a modern-day Moses.

What is Zionism, and why do some find it controversial? Why did Theodor Herzl, a secular writer, who had a limited connection to Judaism, transform an ancient longing into a modern political movement that resulted in the establishment of the State of Israel?

The short answer: anti-Semitism.

The anti-Semitic witch hunt that played out in the Dreyfus affair and the cries of “Death to the Jews” on the streets of Paris made him see that a Jewish state was necessary to address the problem of anti-Semitism completely.

Herzl was seen as a crazy man in his time, but his vision for a Jewish state became reality.