In the bible, the word Zion as a namesake for Jerusalem (and by extension the land of Israel) first appears in the book Samuel II – “וַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִד אֵת מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן הִיא עִיר דָּוִד” – “And David conquered the stronghold of Zion which is the city of David”. The name is then repeated over the Prophets and Scriptures over 150 times. The term Zionism was actually coined in 1890 by Austrian Jewish activist Nathan Birnbaum. The term reflects the link between Zion (ציון) and the Jewish people and their yearning to return to their historical homeland.
Zionism turned from an idea and a concept into a political movement under the vision and leadership of Theodor Herzl who in his landmark book, The Jewish State, laid out a blueprint for a solution to the challenges of Antisemitism, namely the founding of a Jewish state in Palestine.
Herzl’s thoughts and writings propelled him into action and led him to convene the 1st Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland on August 29-30, 1897. The Congress brought together 207 delegates from 30 countries from around the world who debated the principles and practicalities of promoting the foundation of a Jewish state. You can read more about the Zionist Congress here.
Over the next few decades, the Zionist Movement created some of its landmark Institutions that led the process of making the dream of Israel a reality. First came the World Zionist Organization which was founded in the first Congress and has ever since served as the overseer and coordinator of the Zionist Movement. Second came KKL which in 1901 was tasked with purchasing land in Eretz Yisrael to settle Jews. The third was Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal) who in 1920 became the main fundraising branch of the Zionist Movement and finally, in 1929 the Zionist Congress founded the Jewish Agency for Israel which first served as the “government” of the Jewish people pre-state and then became the main proponent of Aliyah.
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