Hungarian-born Austrian founder of Zionism. As a correspondent during the Alfred Dreyfus affair, he determined that the solution to anti-Semitism was the establishment of a Jewish state. Uncommon LS in English, signed “Herzl,” one page, 9 x 11.25, on ornate Zionist Congress letterhead, August 10, 1902. Letter to Henry Hockings in Sidney. In full: “Many thanks for your kind letter which I have read with interest, but I don’t think that to be our way. We have nothing else to do but to unite our forces and be prepared for the right moment which perhaps is not so far distant as you mean.” Letter is affixed to an identical size board and is in good condition, with intersecting folds, several small areas of paper loss to edges of fragile page, scattered moderate irregular toning and soiling, and a photo of Herzl affixed to the lower right corner.
Hockings was the first president of the Australian Zionist organization, elected following its formation in January 1901 at a meeting in the Great Synagogue of Sydney. Hockings and Herzl shared differing viewpoints, with whatever views initially expressed by the Aussie dismissed by the statement, “I don’t think that to be our way,” and predicting that a change “perhaps is not so far distant as you mean.” In his 1902 Zionist novel, Altneuland [Old New Land], Herzl pictured the future Jewish state as a new socialist society that used science and technology to develop the land. Although Herzl's ideas were met with enthusiasm by the Jewish masses in Eastern Europe, Jewish leaders—including Hockings— were less ardent. This is the only English-language letter of Herzl’s we have seen offered. RRAuction COA.
