Just two weeks after participating in October’s 39th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, I found myself standing on a hotel balcony in Basel, Switzerland. Yes, THAT balcony. The one in that iconic photo of Theodor Herzl at his hotel, leaning over and looking forward, as he did during the First Zionist Congress in 1897. (Interestingly, the photo of Herzl was actually taken in 1901 during the Fifth Zionist Congress; Herzl reassumed the pose for a photographer!)

As I stood there, the city was quiet, the Rhine moved steadily below me and the air felt almost suspended between past and present.

I was not prepared for the emotional wave that hit me. Looking out from that vantage point, I felt both awe and clarity. I had just spent days immersed in the modern-day manifestation of Herzl’s dream: a gathering of Jews from around the world convening to debate, collaborate and envision the Jewish future. And now I stood where Herzl once stood when he dared to believe that such a future was possible.

I didn’t arrive at the World Zionist Congress by accident. My journey began years earlier, shaped by family, community and a lifelong relationship with Israel and the Zionist idea. I grew up believing that Israel was central to Jewish identity, not just as a homeland, but as a collective responsibility.

My family instilled in me the idea that supporting Israel meant being active, informed and engaged. Later, my involvement with Hadassah deepened that connection and gave it structure. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization’s medical research and treatment at its........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)