This program originally took place on Monday, October 28th, 2024 at the Center for Jewish History. It was co-hosted by the Natan Fund, Hadassah, and The Jewish Book Council. This event was in celebration of Francine Klagsbrun receiving the Natan Notable Book Award.
Author of Henrietta Szold: Hadassah and the Zionist Dream Francine Klagsbrun, joined Natan Fund Trustee and AJHS Board President Felicia Herman for a discussion regarding Henrietta Szold’s Legacy. Henrietta Szold lived from 1860 to 1945, accomplishing an extraordinary number of amazing achievements. She was the founder of Hadassah, the director of Youth Aliyah (which rescued thousands of Jews from Nazis), an advocate for public health initiatives and an incredible scholar.
Henrietta was very close with her father though childhood and well into adulthood, choosing to never marry herself, she was dedicated to his care and that of her larger extended family. Henrietta’s first encounter with Zionism was though the newly arriving Yiddish speaking Jewish immigrants, who began arriving significant numbers at the latter half of the 19th century. Looking to help these newcomers Szold created a night school devoted to teaching English, her model would later be adopted by other education programs across the country. One recipient of this style of language instruction was former New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who awarded Szold the keys to the city January 8th, 1936. Henrietta’s love for the Jewish people was expansive and embraced Judaism in many expressions and forms of observation: religion, culture, and a way of life. Szold championed Zionism for its potential to create a cultural center for Jewish life and expression. On a trip to Palestine in her mid 40’s Henrietta observed a striking level of poverty in the cities, this exposure eventually led her to create Hadassah. The organization’s mission was to fill the startling need for healthcare in Palestine. Chapters of the organization were established in cities across America and Israel, providing much needed services but also empowering women with skills and jobs. Henrietta’s incredible legacy serves as an inspiration for Israeli and American Jewish women to this day.
Topics covered in this program: Theodor Herzl, Jewish Publication Society, The American Jewish Yearbook, Schechter Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, Louis Ginzberg, Yishuv, David Ben-Gurion.
