They are due to be laid to rest next week in the Herzl family burial plot on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, in fulfilment of Herzl’s final wishes.

Seventy-seven years after the remains of Theodor Herzl, the visionary founder of the Jewish state, were brought to Israel and reinterred on Mount Herzl, one of the most historic and symbolic undertakings in the history of Zionism was completed on Wednesday, in Belgrade.

The remains of Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl, Herzl’s paternal grandparents, were exhumed from the Jewish cemetery in Zemun and will now be brought to Israel. They are due to be laid to rest next week in the Herzl family burial plot on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, in fulfilment of Herzl’s final wishes

The exhumation was carried out in accordance with local religious and legal requirements, in the presence of representatives of the World Zionist Organization, including Chairman Yaakov Hagoel and Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman Dr. Yizhar Hess; representatives of ZAKA, including CEO Zvi Hasid, Commander of the Special Missions Unit Eran Kozachi and Special Missions Unit member Ben Elmalem, as well as representatives of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Upon completion of the procedure, the remains were transferred to specially designated coffins in preparation for their flight to Israel.

The operation follows approximately four years of complex diplomatic and governmental efforts led by the World Zionist Organization, during which all the permits and approvals required to transfer the remains to Israel were secured.

Bringing the remains to Israel and reinterring them in the Herzl family plot on Mount Herzl will mark the closing of a profound national and family circle, reunifying members of the Herzl family in the heart of the State of Israel, the WZO said.

The initiative represents a historic tribute and a deep connection to the spiritual roots of Zionism.

Herzl drew inspiration from his grandfather, Shimon Leib Herzl, who served as the ba’al tekiah—the ceremonial shofar blower—at the synagogue of Rabbi Judah Alkalai, one of the earliest heralds of Zionism.

Through this family legacy, Herzl connected the generations, bridging the world of Jewish tradition with the modern vision of the Jewish people’s return to Zion.

Official reburial in Israel on August 5 

The official state reburial ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 22 Av 5786, August 5, 2026—exactly 77 years after the remains of Theodor Herzl were brought to their final resting place in Jerusalem in 1949.  Israel’s senior leadership and leading public officials are expected to attend, including President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization and other senior dignitaries.

Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, said: “When Zion brings her children home, she also brings home their forebears. Today, the World Zionist Organization is closing a historic circle. Herzl’s grandparents are finally coming home to rest beside their grandson, in the heart of Jerusalem. Today, we are reconnecting the roots of the Herzl family with the land to which he devoted his life.”

Dr. Yizhar Hess, Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, said: “Herzl, the visionary founder of the Jewish state, was the last of the prophets of Israel. He bequeathed a state to us, but for himself and his family he made one modest request: that they be buried in the Land of Israel if and when the Jewish state was established. Today, we have been privileged to fulfil his final request and bring this chapter to a close.44

He added, ”Grandfather Shimon Leib and Grandmother Rivka played a significant role in Herzl’s childhood and in shaping his Zionist thought.”

Zvi Hasid, CEO of ZAKA, said: “We are proud to take part in a national mission of the highest moral and historical significance—one that combines the privilege of Israel’s rebirth with the sacred commandment of bringing the deceased for burial in the Land of Israel. ZAKA’s team possesses the highest level of professional experience and expertise required to carry out complex and sensitive missions of this kind.”