HERZL CENTENARY Diplomats from the consulates of Israel, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland joined Rabbi Arthur Schneier of Park East Synagogue to celebrate the life of Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), the founder of modern Zionism.

Rabbi Schneier, who is president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and honorary president of the Religious Zionists of America, arranged the commemoration, which marked Herzl’s centenary.

Herzl’s life and work were represented symbolically by the presence of the four diplomats: Herzl was born in Hungary, studied at the University of Vienna in Austria, and held the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland.

Consul General Gabor Horvath of Hungary opened by saying, “Today, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Theodor Herzl, a great son of Hungary, we reaffirm our commitment to fight for human dignity, liberty, and strengthen our resolve to do our utmost against any form of discrimination, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. His whole life serves as a solid testimony for all of us: that against the evil and inhuman, silence and inaction will not be an alternative.

“The life, the vision, and the legacy of Theodor Herzl stand forever as a reminder for us and for the forthcoming generations that we have to make one thing absolutely certain. No one shall ever forget the Shoah. Nobody is allowed to deny the terror of the Holocaust. The terror that displayed the worst of human kind. For discrimination is a crime. For killing is a crime,” Mr. Horvath added.

Consul General Raymond Loretan of Switzerland spoke about the historical context of Herzl’s connection to Basel. Austria’s consul general, Michael Breisky, said that Herzl envisioned the creation of a Jewish state not simply an end in itself, but as a means to destroy anti-Semitism.

The Israeli consul general, Arye Mekel – referring to Herzl by his Hebrew name “Binjamin Zeev” – said, “We are here to celebrate the stations” of his life.

Mr. Mekel said the 20th century bore witness to both the worst and best: the Holocaust and the founding of the state of Israel. He continued to talk about his own family’s tragedy: “I am the son of Holocaust survivors,” he said, and told the audience that his grandparents and other relatives were killed in Ukraine.

Speaking of present-day Israel, Mr. Mekel said, “We have now a lot to be grateful for.” He spoke of Israel’s place as a world leader in technology. The country owes its success in part to the Yiddishe kopf, or Jewish ingenuity, he said.

Herzl’s dream is not yet wholly fulfilled, though, “because we are still waiting for peace,” Mr. Mekel said. Israel has its hand stretched out for peace, he said, and – employing an idiomatic phrase he said he had acquired while in New York – is “ready, willing, and able.” Mr. Mekel said he hopes that by next year, when he said Rabbi Schneier is likely to celebrate Herzl’s 101st anniversary, the dream of peace and security will have been realized.

Among those in attendance were Dr. Ruth Westheimer; the director of the Institute of Semitic Studies, Ephraim Isaac; Austrian Cultural Forum’s deputy director, Ernst Aichinger; Roy Innis of Congress of Racial Equality with his son, Niger; and many others.

Rose Bartu of Austria played Bach’s “Andante from Sonata in A minor for violin solo.” Then Rabbi Schneier and the four consuls joined hands as the song “Hatikvah” filled the sanctuary, ending the evening – literally – on a note of hope.

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SCHOLARLY LEGACY Two New York-area academics will be honored posthumously at symposia elsewhere in the country.

The legacy of feminist, scholar, and mystery writer Carolyn Heilbrun, who taught at Columbia University, will be examined at a forum titled “Feminist Activism inside and outside the academy” to be held at the Modern Language Association annual convention in Philadelphia on December 27. Poet and short-story writer Grace Paley; a professor at Indiana University, Susan Gubar; and a professor at Harvard University, Alice Jardine, are among those participating.

Demographer Egon Mayer, who was a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College, will be remembered at the Association for Jewish Studies in Chicago on December 19. Among those scheduled to speak is Bruce Philips of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.