A postcard with a drawing of Henrietta Szold. Henrietta Szold's name is written in Hebrew underneath her picture. The back of the postcard reads: “Henrietta Szold: Founder of Hadassah.”
Henrietta Szold founded the Hadassah women's organisation in 1912. The organisation was named Hadassah because the organisation was founded around Purim time, and it commemorates the Hebrew name of Esther, the heroine of the Purim story.
Hadassah was founded in order to raise funds for medical care in Israel where there was, at the time, a very high rate of disease and a lack of necessary funds for treatment. In addition to providing medical assistance, the organisation became involved in other fields as needs arose: Youth Aliyah, the alleviation of poverty, and education. Hadassah was the first organisation to provide emergency care for mothers and infants.
The postage stamp on the front of the postcard marks the 50th anniversary of WIZO (Women's International Zionist Organization) which was celebrated in 1970. However, the postmark indicates that this postcard was actually sent in February 1985. The postmark reads “First British WIZO Conference in Israel.” WIZO was established in the UK in 1920 as, like Hadassah, a women's organisation dedicated to helping the Jews of Palestine.
