Palestine Jews joined today in celebrating the 80th birthday of Miss Henrietta Szold, Baltimore-born founder of Hadassah, American women’s Zionist organization, and director of youth immigration into the Holy Land.
Hebrew newspapers published special issues hailing the social worker as “the mother in Israel,” while organizations here arranged special festivities and Jewish leaders in Palestine and abroad sent messages of congratulation.
Refugee children in settlements throughout Palestine who had been brought here from European countries through Miss Szold’s work paused to pay respect to her. A special broadcast to schools were held and Miss Szold was guest of honor at a dinner of 250 Palestine Jewish notables tonight. A special sermon was delivered in Yeshurun Synagogue in her honor and the Tel Aviv municipality voted to name a model school after her.
The Jewish Agency for Palestine said in a message: “There are few figures in Jewish life today who can look back on a life of work so rich and varied and of such lasting achievement.” The Palestine Foundation Fund (Keren Hayesod) stated: “She has identified herself with a half-century movement of Jewish people to the Jewish land.” The Jewish National Council (Vaad Leumi) published a monograph on Miss Szold to be distributed to school children.
A special issue of The Palestine Review carried a message of Menachem M. Ussishkin, president of the Jewish National Fund, declaring: “She has become a symbol of Jewish woman-hood in a period of revival of our people. She is the first outstanding woman to link herself with her own people and culture, devoting to them her uncommon talent and faculties.
The London headquarters of the Youth Aliyah organization cabled: “The thoughts of Jewish youth throughout the world, suffering persecution and war, are centered in you today, filled with hope and longing for speedy deliverance. All of us are united with you in this noble task. We look to you for inspiration and guidance.”
Youth Aliyah headquarters here issued a special bulletin dedicated to Miss Szold which contained a message from Dr. Anna Freud, daughter of the late Prof. Sigmund Freud. It said: “Miss Szold, recognizing the main psychological problems of children and adolescents, saved many homeless and stateless Jewish children in Europe from the fate of worming their way into countries where they would remain unwelcome, unwanted and isolated, and secured for them entrance into a country of their own.”
Dr. Judah L. Magnes, president of the Hebrew University, said in a message that “Henrietta Szold is one of the pioneers of the Hebrew revival in America.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
