Theodore Herzl

Theodor Herzl was, to put it mildly, kind of a big deal. The man practically invented modern Zionism, taking the vague yearnings of a scattered people and turning them into a concrete political movement. He wasn't just dreaming; he was strategizing, lobbying, and generally making things happen.

Born in Budapest to a secularized Jewish family, Herzl initially pursued a career in law before turning to journalism and playwriting. His early work often explored themes of Jewish assimilation, but it was the Dreyfus Affair in Paris — which he covered as a correspondent — that truly radicalized him, convincing him that antisemitism was an intractable problem that only a Jewish state could solve.

Herzl’s pamphlet "Der Judenstaat" (The Jewish State) laid out his vision for a sovereign Jewish nation, a radical idea at the time. He organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, tirelessly campaigned for international support, and basically set the whole train in motion. He didn't live to see the State of Israel, but his fingerprints are all over its foundation.

While some might kvetch about certain aspects of modern Israel, there’s no denying Herzl’s monumental impact. He took a seemingly insurmountable problem and provided a blueprint for its solution, inspiring generations and fundamentally altering Jewish history. For that, he gets top marks across the board, even if he did have a slightly theatrical mustache.