This pamphlet was produced by the Child and Youth Immigration Bureau a month after the death of Henrietta Szold. It includes the transcript of a speech she made on Israeli radio, a quote from a speech she made in America, and letters she wrote in reply to children from Youth Aliyah.
Following are some quotes from the pamphlet.
In 1935, at a dinner held in New York in honour of her birthday, she said:
“Let’s forget the past 75 years. I don’t want to talk about age…a great task stands before us, a new task that needs to be completely executed from beginning to end. We have to take Jewish youth out of Germany, and afterwards from Poland, France, Lithuania etc.”
In a letter written to one of the Youth Aliyah immigrants, she gives advice about how to best integrate into Israeli society:
“Try to understand the hidden tastes [of Israel]; try and penetrate the secrets of the language; read the Bible and be one with nature, the nation, leaders and the ways of our Land of Israel.”
In a speech she delivered on the radio in 1940 in honour of her 80th birthday, she remarked:
“You can see the many incredible changes that have occurred over the eighty years of my life, however, one thing has stayed consistent, untouched by the hand of time. As in the past, today there are generous men and women who do good deeds. Today, as in the past, educated men and women express great ideas. Today, as in the past, active men and women work and create. Today, as in the past, we, the people of the Jewish nation, cultivate the spirit and aspirations which have served as the foundations of our life since we became a nation. The human soul stands forever; it just finds new and better paths to the soul of the other.”
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Henrietta Szold - Henrietta Szold led an amazingly rich life. She established a night school, was the first woman to study at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), and founded Hadassah, the Woman's Zionist Organization of America. In Israel she founded Youth Aliya, a nursing school, and several hospitals.
Henrietta Szold never married or had children, but she became known as the “Mother of Israel.” In fact, Mother's Day (which later became known as Family Day) was established in her honour on 30th Shevat, the Hebrew anniversary of her death.
