The remains of Dr. Theodor Herzl and his family were formally transferred today to the Israeli Government in a ceremony held in Vienna’s largest hall following a religious service conducted in a synagogue.
In accepting the coffins on behalf of the Israeli Government, Dr. Kurt Lewin, Israeli representative in Austria, said that Dr. Herzl’s grave will be the first sanctuary of the Jewish state.
Thousands of Jews formed long lines outside the synagogue to pay their last respects to the founder of the Zionist movement. Dr. Herzl’s coffin, covered by an Israeli flag, rested near the caskets of his parents and his sister, whose remains were brought from Budapest. A guard of honor was composed of representatives of all Jewish organizations in this country.
At the ceremony marking the official transfer of Dr. Herzl’s remains to the safekeeping of the Government of Israel, more than 2,000 persons gathered to hear the premiere recital of Malerkalkstein’s symphonic work, “David.” Officials of the Austrian Government, as well as leaders of the Jewish community, eulogized the late Zionist leader.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
