Funeral services were held today for Rebecca Herzmark Safer, an active Zionist and co-founder of the Washington chapter of Hadassah 64 years ago, who died Saturday at the age of 85.
Mrs. Safer was born in Arkansas and moved to the Washington area at an early age. She was educated at George Washington University. She attended an early World Zionist Congress in Switzerland and visited Palestine before returning to Washington where her home became a meeting place for visiting Zionist leaders.
She served as president of the Washington chapter of Hadassah from 1926-29; was a founder of the National Sponsors for Israel Bonds; and a founding member of the Trustee Program and the Prime Ministers Club. In 1965 she chaired the Israel Independence Ball Committee.
A year later she became the first annual recipient of the Abraham S. Kay Leadership for Israel Award for community service. In 1978 she received the Ben Gurion Award of the State of Israel Bond Organization. Mrs. Safer was a member of Congregation Adas Israel in Washington.
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