If you will it

In August 2024, Kos & Kaos hosted If You Will It – Celebrating Theodor Herzl, an evening dedicated to exploring the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of Theodor Herzl — the visionary founder of modern Zionism. Held in Oslo, the event combined live music, readings, art, and conversation to illuminate Herzl’s ideas and its relevance to Jewish identity and resilience today.

Herzl lived in a time when sudden waves of antisemitism became visible across Europe. As a journalist in Paris, he was shaken by the Dreyfus Affair, where crowds demanded the destruction of the Jews. The experience convinced him that assimilation could not protect European Jews, and that survival and dignity required collective renewal and self-determination. Yet his vision was also one of hope and imagination — a belief that change begins with the courage to dream.

The evening drew thoughtful parallels between Herzl’s era and our own, as antisemitism once again resurfaces in public life. Through performance, storytelling, and dialogue, participants explored how Herzl’s words — “If you will it, it is no dream” — still inspire courage, vision, and a sense of shared responsibility.