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Thursday, September 27, 11&2 THE JBWISI!I :POST Page Twenty-three THE. JEWISH POST Thursday, September 27, 19&2 and especially of a pioneer of public health. It . . was extraordinary how well she understood health problems without herself having had a medical ·THREE ZIONISTRISHONIMIN AMERICA Henrietta education. Her concentration on her tasks was Szold the equivalent of study, research' and consulta­ movement. But these brave spirits, though promi­ for the Russian Jew who sought a haven in Amer­ tion. She did not go to Palestine with the Ameri­ nent locally, lacked the standing Ricb,ard Gottheil ica~ the quiet fervor with which she served youth . can Zionist Medical Unit in 1918 because respon- enjoyed in the overall American community. Aliyah, draining for it the last measure of her sibilities in connection with its organization kept As early as 1899, the North American Review, T was a source ·of personal regret to Henrietta _ strength, were of one piece. "Consistency and her chained to her desk in America. The formid­ the foremost intellectual periodical of that day, able logistics of this undertaking in time of war I Szold herself that her husy life, its cQmmand- constancy were the hallmarks of her life. .' < published Dr. Gottheil's essay "The Zionist Move­ completely cleared from her desk, she left f(}r the , , ing duties, her own compulsive sense of responsi- . In the second phase of 's ser~ The following three profiles of American ment." In that article, the author Informed the - bility to the public. weal did not permit· her to . vice to the Jewish people, the pioneer development Jewish National Home. to grapple with the chal­ Zionist, Rishonim. w.ere subjects of ,addresses "American public of the Zionist credo and pro- ,write herautobiographr. This she. wa;nted to do of the Jewish Publication Society, we find again lenge of peace and reconst:r;uction. I r~call, when at "a meeting of the Brith Roshonim, and· the 'gram: He. wrote: . . but more than once. she 'surrend.ered personal. in a pre-Zionist activity 'seeds .that flowered later she arrived in the spring 0:( 1919 in ' and series has heen published in pamphlet form. inclination to the demands of the hour. .Those in her Zionist service" Counterpoint to the Ameri- plunged into work. She' was tireless, thorough (.. ·ICHARD Gottheil at hirth was given the name "We ask but. little portron of the green and and always. human. All problems ·came to her Another pamphlet planne~ for early release ancient earth; only to sow and sing and reap whom she left behind, "her disciples and . co- . canization of the immigrant wa:;; the Judaizingo~ ,.'. R of Richard James Horatio Gottheil, but when desk. Relaxation .she knew only on the Sabbath , workers and their disciples, follow in the furrow the America:Q Jew through education. Books for (; he came of age, he used only his first name, dis-, will deal with Dr.. Harry"Friedenwald, 'who in the land of our birth. This refrain echoes day.. '. carding even the initials J. H. that do occasionally succeeded Prof. 'Gottheil; . as president of the the longings of those Jews who the world has that she imbedded into Zionist history, often' the People of the Book was more t'han a slogan in ' ZOA, then known as' the Federation of learned· to call Zionists. What strange forces wishing that they had before them a blueprint the .third and 'fourth decade .of Henrietta Szold's She was seconded in the health work by Alice' crop up in some printed ~atter., He was bQrn in Se!igsberg.. It would' be. consonant with Miss Manchester, England, on OGtober 13, 1862; eleven . American. Zionists; Dr.' Nachman' Syrkin, were awakening among God's chosen folk? , .of her life as she herself might have seen' it. . life .. Jewish culture, an imp~rted plant heretofore founder of the American' Labor . Zionist ,What new spirit was. being infused into the Henrietta Szold made substantive and sub- in this country, 'shot under her dynamic dedica­ Szcild's own evaluation of her colleague to men­ years later,. in 187'3, he came to the United States; tion at this point the names of three other Ameri- he died in New' York, on May 22, 1936, at ,the Movement, .and Rabbi Meyer , the dead bones? No nation ought to give an ear stantialcontributions to the Zionist movement tion to literary work, deep roots into American .organizer of the Mizrachi Zionist Organiza- to thil) cry, of the little' people more readily than' over ,and' above the total load of work hours, which soiL The theme of education' never departed from . can· women, Zionist. pioneers whose memory is ; age of sixty-three. . " . . blessed - Alice Seligsberg, Jesse Sampter and . Who and what manner of man was 'Richard tion of America. . '., . the American, for it was itself ,one of them at even before an age of automation would strike . Henrietta Szold's scheme of Zionist activity,,' This one as a phenomenal figure. She took pride . " , ' Nellie Strauss Mochenson. For Alice Seligs­ " a time not so far hack as to make it forget , Gottheil, elected in 1898 as the first President of berg the .moral life was humanity in action. the, Federation of· American Zionists (later . 1't' S orIgm...... " in the fact that her first Zionist address I . antedated the first Zionist Congress.' 'In She served in the Land of Israel first as to be known as the Zionist Organization of . Then he proceeds' to !;lxplain the history. director of the' medica] unit,' then as head of America)? He was of medium height, with. 1896, 'she addressed the Nation.al Council of ,:, - of the Zionist movement, what it stands for, Jew.ish Women in Baltimore on the high' the orphan rescue and rehabilitation. work of a beautifull mobile face, enhanced by a neatly and how far it is an expression of the wishes post-war Pales'tine, then as t.he executive of trimmed beard~asily distinguished by his . purpose of Zionism. She joined the Hovevei of the Jewish people. ' Zion upon her ~'eturn fr;om ,her first trip to . Jewish Child Care in the City of New York. 'handsome looks, demeanor and appearance as Later on,' und.er the title of "What· Is Henrietta Szold looked upon Alice Seligsberg; an aristocratic gentleman. ',' Europe in 1881, when she saw' with her own Zionism," he puoIished a powerful summary eyes the travail. and yet the. unbroken .spirit ,her disciple, as' upon a teacher from whom , The' year he assumed the American Zion-, ,of Zionist aims and pm'poses in' which he 'one learns much:. '...... ist leadership, he was desiguated as the Chief ,?fher Jewishpeople. Nevertheless, Zionism reminds his antagonists that. "After break­ remained for a considerable length of time .' Jesse Sampter was spiritually an' off­ . of the Oriental Departmerit of the New York dowri of Ghetto walls,> to be, so to speak, ' spring of Henrietta Szold. Like. Miss Seligs­ . Public Library. He was already serving as an ancilla~~activity in her busy life. That brought into harmony with the modern it was a vita:ra:nd' focal point in her life her' berg, she came from a strongly assimilated a full professor at C.olumbia University. To spirit, they-western Jewry-hact made an environment. ,Crippled by a sever attack of my knowledge, at that time,he was the only development in later years clearly proved .. ·t . effort to save the Jewish religion at the 'This brief recall of Henrietta Szold's life polio in her childhood, she transmuted a Jew 'occupying so high an academic post at ~xpense'of nationality and race, not realiz- . musical talent into a delicate poetic, faculty. that world famous educational institution. is associated with the. tribute of the Brith . mg that these last two constitute its bul­ Rishonim who remembered her' and 'shared Through Hadassah's school of Zionism, Jesse." As to his Jewish background and environ" w~rk" Sampter transmitted to, a whole generation ment, he was the son of Dr. Gustave Gottheil, ... ,;" her' life. It is well to emphasize 'here the'· Professor Gottheil did not entireiy con­ period in which her central service was di- . of Hadassah workers and leaders the concept . "highlyregarded for, his learning;. his piety, that Zionism was a way of life and education an4 recognized as a gifted poet. In 1898, Dr.. fine his activities to the local scene. He' rected to tending the home fires-the period served with skill and. distinction as the head' of her Americanization work of the immi- was its sustenance. Frail and wan, she 'came ,Gustave Gottheil was Rabbi Emeritus of to the Land of Israel and served'there until Temple Enianu EI, then, as indeed today, of the American' delegation to the Second ...'\. grant and refugees from Russian persecu- , and' in the same ': tion .. Miss Szold only rarely referred to that her dying day with whatever strength she the citadel of American Reform Judaism. could command/and with t1,)e ·humilityof The same Zionist convention that elected capacity attended the Congresses held dur­ period of her ·life, but when she did it, was ing the years 1899, 1900, and 1903. It may not without emotion ..Eventhe remembrance gr~atness in anY' capacity where she was' ~', . Richard as President, chose Rabbi Gottheil .-,-, . be interesting to recall that the'peakof the of those nights When she ,travelled hy horse-. needed. She set by example and achievement as Vice-President. Thus son and father pro­ standards . of service and integration for vided the illustrious leadership American· span of Gottheil's Zionist work corresponded car from the residential section of Baltimore' exactly with that of Theodbr Herzl's inten­ to its poor man's district had a certain exal­ Yemenite children who at the time were the , Zionism enjoyed at the very' start. ., sive, ,almost feverish activity in behalf of ,tationfor her. Father and son together bent dispossessed of Israe I: She established a rest r , For a proper evaluation of the services ~ Zionism, namely 1897 to -1904. Their ages ,their work worn' fingers to form English and recreation home' for workers in Givat .": Richard Gottheil rendered to Zioil),ism, it is Brenner. important to examine the world Jewish scene too, ran aln:108t parallel -,. D:r. Herzl wa~ words' and phrases under her tutelage. She of that ,day, ·particularly in' this country. two years old when Richard ,Gottheil was 'gave them a key to the America she loved Nellie Strauss, later Mrs. Mochenl)on, like born. Jesse Sampter,but to an even more menacing What was the Jewish climate prevailing here .' and her heart was lifted up. . at the, time Dr. Theodor Herzl 'issued the AmongthEl reports Dr. Gottheilsub­ . . A half century later, in arranging for degree, suffered from impaired he!J.lth. But historic call for the First Zionist Congress? mitted . upon his return. from a Congress' the celebration of her seventy-fifth birthday, 'her weak heart was directed by a will of iron. pt;lrhaps the cost moving, concerned th~ I had suggested to Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia . Her bright mind waS surpassed by a spirit . The. Am~rican ,.Jewish comniunity ·was Second, the first that he had' attended" He that'she be given the freedom of the City strong and deep.' She followed ,Henrietta • the!} wltnessmg the decline of the Sephardi ~,, ' of New Yori{ and be received as an honorary Szold to the Land of Israel. Like Miss Sz'old hegemony. ' The large immigration of East repo,rted" that as he witnessed the opening '~s­ citizen of the great metropolis. When 1 told her sights a!}d service went far beyorid the ',; European' Jews had just begun. The process seSSIon Ih the presence of 400 delegates th~ Miss Szold of this forthcoming . honor, she horizons of Hadassah. She answered the , '. ,of settlement and adjustment. of the new sembled from four corners of the earth ~, . the thought came to him of what Lord flew into one of her extremely rare but fam- most arduo'us calls, founded colonies and was " ';1 arriv'als was still in a rudimentary. 'state. 1<' Beaconsfield in his old age told' a Jewish boy .. , ous furious reactions. Yet she would not a writer and editor. The miracle of the will (. Practically all Jewish institutions, philan-, :I: \ allow us to cancel the' honor. Like' lamb to redeem Zion was the miracle of N eIlie (',' thropic, . educational and spiritual, were who was pr~sented to him: "You and I be-" a .. long to a race which can do everything but to the slaughter she cameio City Hall, where IlENru:ETrA' SZOLD Strauss' life. In remembering, them as dominated ,by, German Jews. The Reform , -, ' ,~ayor LaGuardia received her in the pres- From a painting b;y Joseph Matgulies . among the Rishonim, we honor the memory 'r\ Rabbis occupied an eminent position and fai} .. " ~t that moment, that assembly, Gott­ t 'I: \. ' 'ence of only a few, in deference to her wishes, . , of Henrietta Szold. They were' her staunch X most of them had .come here from Germany. hell smd, seemed fully to bear but Beacons­ ~ ) , leaders 9f Hadassah and the Zionist organization. was true whether she served in the official ad~ . comrades in arms and meant much to Miss Szold, :,' There was' hardly a' 'single Reform Rabbi field. He' then recalled the review of the r··, " ", . Mayor ·LaG'!ardia, addressing her, said: ~'lf I ram . ministration of. the Zionist Organization,' or much .to Hadassah and much to the Zionist r who did not speak with. a GenTIan accent. world· Jewish. situation" presented' by the ,,.', .,; . . here extendmg to you the freedom of this great 'moulded the firnf structure of Hadassah, or creat- . movement.. ., . . ...' ". \( " This explams the ready response evoked various speakers; hailing from .the .many .'" city, it is because of the work that you did fifty ed and directed the medical work that became a tt was characteristic of Henrietta' Szold that ,:, here by the protest of the German Reform lands represented in the Congress. Profes­ 'o' r cornerstone for the builders. . , .she· evoked unlimited loyalty' from those who Rabbinfl.te against the holding of the First . sor Gottheil appealed to his audience to help years ago wh!;ln my parents came to this country , , RICHARD JAMES H; GO'I'rHEIL to will "our own ,better future and that of as poor immigrants. Were it not for the evening There especially,' in the medical work of· worked with her. Nowhere is this more clearly l· Zionist c.ongress in Munich, Germany. The Courtesy of the J "wish Publications Society of America c 'Hadassah, a tiny project at its inception carried' manifested than in ,the story of . objections of the "Protest Rabbiner," as all the- world; not renounce our higher gift classes that you started for the' Americani~a.tion -choose our full heritage and carry it into work that you developed, that generation of im­ within it from the very beginning its complete . For members of the Brith Rishonim who. have these are now historically referred to were taken persoll negated the poieonous accusation. He wat:l migrants might have been subjected to a new form and figure, even as an embryo contains the . lived Zionism day by day and year by year; it is up and: elaborated on ,by .their A~eiican col­ British born; from whence the founders of thi" a ne,~ ~rot~erh?od.," ~e concludes, with: "The Mesl;Wlllc TIme IS the tIme when Israel shall will slavery in this country, an economic slavery, complete person. One nurse or a school of nurses, sliperfluous to recall its history. Yet one must leagues. The attacks were ruthless, and since nation came. His, Americanism and patriotism perhaps worse than the first." She, who had feared one doctor or a medical school, one clinic or a do so even as we recall the exodus of Egypt. To these highlighted the vicious charge of "double th~ p!anting of the national ensign, for the divine were beyond challenge. Socially, he enjoyed the' prmCIple of our people is action." and had wished to reject the honor, wras moved national chain of hospitals, one bottle of quinine repeat the story of Youth Aliyah in Henrietta loyalty," they might have succeeded in snuffing prestige derived from being a professor of the or an anti-malarial country-wide campaign, one Szold's life is to deepen the commitment of our out the then emerging and struggling American Professor Gottheil's contacts with Dr. Herzl visibly and deeply. She threw her arms around renowned Columbia University. He spoke a pure were very <;Iose and"in the later years, even inti­ me and thanked me for what had happened. class saved from hunger or a nationwide network generation to the dream and goal of the ingather­ Zionist Organization, whose ranks consisted pre­ English with just a ,trace of a British accent. He It must be said that this pioneer constructive of school luncheons, from the beginning to the ing of the exiles. dominantly of recent immigoonts, to whom the had entree to some of the leading American. mate. Lookmgthrough the Herzl correspondence I found that in the c<:)Urse of five years-1899 t~ and creative project for the education of the im­ end, each undertaking of Hadassah - born in the It is interesting to note that when the idea /I question of political loyalty was of paramount journals. migrant was not unrelated, as she herself pointed heart and mind of Henrietta Szold - was con- of youth immigration from Germany to Palestine importance. To keep the record straight, note" must be 1904-Herzl had wrItten Gottheil hundreds. of le~ters. In 1901 alone, I cOl:1nted 47 letters. And out, to the work that under other circumstances ceived as an educational project. It thus became, was brought to Henrietta Szold by Recha Freier, Fortunately for the cause, the head of the taken of other courageous spirits of that day, and in a different decade she directed in the Land a living, growing organism, eventually a being Miss Szold was loath to accede to the request that Zionist organization, Richard Gottheil, in his own who battled for the truth of the Zionist cause thIs was not a one wa.y operation. Many,. if not most of the letters.. required action; that these of Israel. The golden thread of continuity that unto itself in the free commonwealth of Israel. she lead such a movement. It was her judgment Outstanding among these were Rahhi Dr. B. Fel~ rises from the depth of a person's' psyche was This may not be the place to enlarge on the ,that Aliya:h had to be an act of volition and the senthal of Chicago and Rabbi Dr. Max Heller of . r~q,!ests .were met IS eVIdenced 'by Herzl's appre~ • Copies of the' first 3S-page booklet may be secured by there and tied together. the beginning and the actual history of' Hada'ssah's work. Henrietta age of eighteen was the traditional mark of rna- : , , New Orleans, two 'stalwart champions' whose sup­ ClatIv~ acknowledgments. Almost all of this cor­ sending 50¢ to Brith Rishonim of the United States, respondence was carried on in longhand. The end. The. passionate lov~ she flamingly expressed . Szold's ,place iIi it was that. of a .Zionist pion~er (Continued on Page 36) . Inc., 515 Park Avenue, New York 22, N.Y. port was an immeasurable contribution to the (Continued on Page 40) " . ",

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