 The first World Zionist Congress of 1897 was held in Basel, and took place ten times in the city — more than in any other city in the world.Whereas the communities of Basel and Zürich are traditionally shaped by large Ashkenazi communities, Geneva also hosts an important Sephardic community.Its main synagogue, the Synagogue Hekhal Haness, is considered to be the most important Sephardic synagogue in Switzerland.