Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Henrietta Szold And Me


The task for this week's 100 Word Challenge over at Julia's Place is to write a poem on the theme:

The passing of 60 years.

Obviously it's to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I wish I were in the UK to experience it but as I'm in Israel, I chose to celebrate another strong woman. A woman who's life work has had a direct impact on my life and my happiness.

Henrietta Szold (1860 - 1945)

Henrietta Szold founded Hadassah Women,
Leading to the founding of Hadassah Hospital,
Where she insisted that Jews and Arabs receive equal care.

She founded Youth Aliya,
With a system of youth villages throughout the country,
They rescued over 22,000 children from Hitler.

She was a teacher, a writer, a scholar and a politician.
She was single and she was childless.
The Hebrew date of her death is Mother's Day in Israel.

She once said to a friend,
I would give it all up for one child of my own.
Sixty years later I started IVF in Hadassah Hospital.

20 comments:

  1. Sounds a remarkable, enlightened woman. Realised today that half of your blog updates have been going straight into my neglected spam folder.

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    1. She was. Btw - your updates aren't updating at all on my blog list. I always scroll down to the bottom to find you anyway. we obviously have a dodgey connection. Thanks for your comment in record time.

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    1. I A.G.R.E.E. (I assume you're talking about the Hadassah Women.)

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  3. One woman's amazing story comes full circle to your amazing tale :-)

    Well captured in 100 words.

    xx Jazzy

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  4. Thanks, I wasn't even going to do it this week. Them I was preparing an English lesson about Szold and what she said to her friend really struck me. Pure coincidence that I started IVF at her hospital exactly 60 years after her death.

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  5. Now that is a life well lived. An inspiration to us all.

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    1. Absolutely. And every one of those 22,000 children was her child.

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  6. Great 100 Words! What inspirational ladies, the pair of you! Emma

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  7. Oh WOW ... that was incredible. Such a powerful piece. What an amazing woman! I found these two lines the most poignant

    I would give it all up for one child of my own.
    Sixty years later I started IVF in Hadassah Hospital.

    A really original entry and interpretation of the prompt.

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    1. Thank you OM. I was also very moved by her comment as she achieved so much in her life and was so brilliant. It just shows how powerful that need to be a mother can be. If she had been born 100 years later she would have done it herself.

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  8. Not sure if my comment was logged so popping in again in case.

    This is a great post for our Jubilee celebrations. Thank you for telling me about another wonderful woman. You are lucky to have a direct connection.

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    1. I am also lucky to have had the opportunity that was denied to Szold because she was born 100 years too early for it. Thanks for commenting Julia.

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  9. Fabulous, thanks for sharing about such an amazing woman, i would never have heard of her otherwise.

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  10. What a great post and a true inspiration x

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    1. Thanks Susan, she certainly is am inspiration.

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