First Persian-American mayor commemorates 150th birthday of Theodore Herzl, forefather of Jewish nationalism, to advocate for vigilance against religious persecutors

The City of Beverly Hills honored the memory of Theodore Herzl, the forefather of re-establishing Jewish self-determination in Judaism's homeland (known as Zionism).  Mayor Jimmy Delshad calls the Obama administration to prioritize America's protection of the Israeli and Iranian peoples from Islamist imperialists, especially the government of Iran.

Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad, the first Iranian-born elected official in America,  renamed the block of Clark Street adjacent to the Temple Emmanuel Jewish Day School as "Herzl Way" to be an inspiration to the public and students of this historic civil rights figure.

 

On what would be Theodore Herzl's 150th birthday, Beverly Hills (the sister-city of Herzl's namesake city in Israel - Herzliya)  on Sunday, May 2nd, the City held a dedication ceremony, addressed by Israel's Consul General to Los Angeles, Mr. Jacob Dayan.  Israel's former Minister for Public Security, Avi Dichter, also attended the ceremony. 

Temple Emmanuel's school choir entertained the audience, singing an inspirational, original composition about Israel's significance as a refuge from contemporary anti-Semitism. Mayor Delshad and Mr. Dayan joined the estimated 300 attendees for Israeli folk dancing and singing.  

 

In the 1890's, in response to perpetual Jew-hatred in Europe, Theodore Herzl catalyzed the concept of seeking refuge for persecuted Jews by re-establishing sovereignty over Judaism's homeland - where Jews have been residing for 3,000 years - Israel.  Israel is the only country Judaism considers holy, and Jerusalem (the capitol of Judaism) was re-established as Israel's civic capital in Mr. Herzl's movement - called Zionism.