Must Know
A founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, and Youth Aliyah. Born in the United States, she was the first Jewish woman from her community to attend a public high school, and the first woman to take courses at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Conservative movement’s rabbinical school. She worked as a teacher and also organized night classes in her home for newly- arrived Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. During the years she lived in Mandatory Palestine, Szold helped lay the foundations of Israel’s welfare state by establishing and advancing social services, and advancing the quality of healthcare and education. She was also a member of Brit Shalom, an organization dedicated to Jewish-Arab cooperation. Mother’s Day in Israel (now called Family Day) is celebrated on the anniversary of her death.
