Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization, Opens Its Convention in Buffalo

(Jewish Daily Bulletin

The Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization, Junior Hadassah conventions opened yesterday with greeting by Mrs. L. H. Miller, President of the Buffalo Chapter, at the Hotel Statler. Rabbi M.M. Eichler offered the invocation. Greetings from the Zionist Organization of America were extended by Louis Lipsky, and from the United Palestine Appeal by Emanuel Neumann.

The most important immediate need for the development of Palestine as a Jewish Homeland is adequate hospital facilities for the medical care of the population, Miss Henrietta Szold, president of Hadassah, declared in her annual report sent by her from Jerusalem where she is now directing the work of the organization. The report was read by Mrs. Robert Szold, acting president, who submitted it to the several hundred delegates attending the 12th annual convention of Hadassah.

Report of the national committee work were submitted by Mrs. Dorothy Lefkowitz, treasurer; Mrs. A. H. Fromenson, Palestine Supplies Department, Mrs. A J. Bandes, Infant Welfare; Mrs. H. Kottler, Pennscholl Luncheon Fund; Mrs. Irma L. Lindheim, Jewish National Fund; Mrs. I . S. Adlerblum, Cultural Committee; Mrs. S. Inzlbuch, Hospitality, and Miss Ruth Cohen, Executive Committee.

A large increase in membership during the past year, bringing the total to 30,614 as compared to 23,436 for 1925, was announced by Miss Cohen. The number of chapters has grown from 245 to 276.

Mrs. Lefkowitz reported on the financial situation of Hadassah. During the past four and a half years the organization has collected for expenditures in Palestine, $1,320,538. Last year $379,972 was raised for its work, Mrs. Lefkowitz announced. During the five months of the current year Hadassah chapters have obtained $307,481 already. The budget for 1926-27, she stated, would be approximately $750,000.

The principal activity of Junior Hadassah, an organization composed of young Jewish women between the ages of eighteen to twenty-one, is its support of Meier Shefeye, a school in Palestine providing academic and agricultural education to one hundred children, according to the report of Mrs. Freda Silbert Ullian, president. The entire financial burden of the institution is being borne by the junior group, Mrs. Ullian announced, and last year the organization raised from its members $40,407 towards its maintenance. The membership of the group is now 7,025 with 131 units and 161 groups.

The Palestinian activities of Junior Hadassah were reviewed in a report sent on from Palestine by Miss Sophia Berger, Executive Director of the Palestine Orphan Committee. Miss Berger told of the plans made through Meier Shefeye to give an adequate education to orphan children.