Theodor Herzl
Date of Birth: 2 May, 1860
Place of Birth: Pest, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire
Date of Death: 3 July, 1904
Place of Death: Reichenau an der Rax, Austria-Hungary
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish
Theodor Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer. He is known for establishing modern political Zionism, and is known as the father of the State of Israel. He founded the Zionist Organization and promoted a Jewish state.
Herzl was the son of Jeanette Johanna (Diamant) and Jakob/Jacob Herzl. His father was born in Belgrade, Zemun, Central Serbia, Serbia. His mother was born in Budapest. He was married to Julie Naschauer, until his death. The couple had three children. His daughter “Trude” was murdered in the Holocaust with her husband Richard Neumann, in the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943.
Theodor’s paternal grandfather was Simon Leib/Loeb Herzl (the son of Leopold Judah Herzl/Löbl Herzl and Verrana Frummet Herzl). Simon was born in Zemun, City of Belgrade, Serbia. Leopold was the son of Naphtali Tzvi Herzl. Verrana was the daughter of Moshe Herzl and Rivka Simon.
Theodor’s paternal grandmother was Rebecca/Regina Bielitz (the daughter of Jakob Bielitz/Biliz and Sara Feischel). Sara was the daughter of Enoch Feischel and Theresia Falio.
Theodor’s maternal grandfather was Hermann Diamant (the son of Wolf Diamant and Charlotte/Sarolta/Lotty Scheindl Haber). Hermann was born in Pest, Hungary. Wolf was the son of Josef Isak Diamant, who was born in Špačince/Spatzing/Spatznitz, Ispáca Spacza, Trnava, Nitra, Slovakia. Charlotte was the daughter of Wolf Haber.
Theodor’s maternal grandmother was Johanna Katharina Abeles (the daughter of Loeb Herz Abeles and Theresia). Johanna was born in Pest. Leob was born in Mikulov/Nikolsburg, Czech Republic. Theresia was born in Nikolsburg, Mikulov, Břeclav District, South Moravian Region.
Source: Genealogy of Theodor Herzl – https://www.geni.com
Serbian Jews are largely considered Ashkenazi, so I don’t know why he’s listed as Sephardi. Especially if his Serbian-Jewish parent’s last name is Herzl. That’s definitely an Ashkenazi name.
I would call him my hero but I will avoid being political. Anyway what percent Sephardic is Theodor Herzl?
To be fair I don’t see Sephardi ancestry at all.
Theresa Falio was allegedly Sephardic.
Spot on. I had actually noticed that. It looks that is a source of his Sephardi roots. Probably Abeles too. Still a bit unusual these Sephardi Jews lived in Mitteleuropa instead of their traditional motherlands.
There used to be a Sephardic synagogue in Zemun, that was destroyed by communists. Can’t find any proof that Abeles family was Sephardic. Looks like there are many Abeles families scattered around Eastern Europe.
Abeles is originally of Sephardic origin.
There’s a huge thread about it on Ancestry message boards