The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-22
What Hadassah Has
Achieved in IL Years
BY MRS. ARTHUR \. DEMBITZ
Philadelphia.


In Purim, Hadassah, the Womens
Zionist Organization, was Bath Mitzvah
twelve years old. Its name, associat-
ed by us with the lovely myrtle was
the other appellation of the queen who
took her life in her hands for the sake
of her kindred threatened with eNtinc-
tion. and if l perish" And still,
though the yearning to do something
for their sisters in Palestine took shape
in Purim 5G72, the need for aid TO
prospective mothers of the Jewish race
was first felt in 5G71 by noble daugh-
ters of Israel whose names are hous
hold words in American Jewry, as they
perceived that Jewish women in the
prenatal condition could not secure as
sistance they required in those terrible
moments unless they consented to have
their babes baptized.
The time mt last came when these
Jewesses, including Henrietta Sold,
decided something must be done for
.the healing of the daughter of my
people"-it was in New York City that
Hadassah first saw the light of day
American Jewesses We're then invited
to contribute to the physical welfare
of their sisters in Jerusalem and in
Palestine generally-will ye stand idly
afar and allow them TO be coerced
through their mother love into giving
their children to faith that is not
theirs? A time was to come when this
Hadassah was to set the example of
giving assistance medical 10 all Pal
estinians irrespective of race or faith.
1T is of interest to note the begin
nings of Hadassah's work and the
stages by which it advanced from
strength to strength 1913 two
American trained nurses (Jewish) were
sent to care fer the Jewish poor in Je-
rusalem. They, knowing that the
largest percentage of deaths is caused
by neglect of women before, during and
after childbirth, themselves began to Or
ganize and supervise the ,midwives of
Jerusalem, and to nurse the most diff
ficult cases.
They engaged also in campaign
against traclloma among school chill
dren and thus guarded them against
blindness. One of these nurses sent
Hadassah in America patterns of the
kind of outfits needed by babies and
mothers in Jerusalem, one of them
taught a class of seven girls besides
nursing, first aid hygiene The two
nurses in their home in Jerusalem
opened n small nurses settlement.
1918 in the spring, Hadassah WIS en-
trusted with assembling n personnel
and equipment for Medical Unit of
10: physicians, sanitarians, dentists,
nurses, etc.
Through the Medical United Hadas
sab was enabled to execute plan long
cherished, namely, the foundation of n
Nurses Training School in Palestine.
The need of professionally trained
nurses in Palestine was acutcly felt
why should there not be found among
its intelligent girls those who would
in time take the places vacated by the
members of the Unit who would return
TO their own country Europe or
America? The Hadassah Training
School is attached to the Ro:hschild
Hospital in Jerusalem; in November,
1921-twenty-two nurses were grad
uated; at these first commencement
exercises Henrietta Szold said. among
other things. I'VE boast that ours. is
the only Nurses Training School in
the world in which Hebrew is the Ian
grlagc of instruction" In 1921, one
hundred and eighty Jewish war or
phans We're supported in Palestine by
thirty-siX Junior. Hudassah Units and
their friends.
In 1922 Hadassah helped to main
tain Il Medical Organization in Pales-
tine employing 400 doctors, nurses, pu-
pill nurses, sanitarians, dentists, drug
gists. cooks, laundresses. attendants,
secretaries, clerks. etc. Hadassah doc
tors and nurses inspect and treat school
children in many parts of Palestine
not only for trachcma but also for
skin diseases.
In 1922 Hadassah, at request of
four hospitals, many clinics. several
field hospitals for Immigrants, medical
circuits in the Jewish colonies, a sys-
TEN of school visiting, modern nurses
training school and two infant welfare
stations.
In 1922 Hadassah, at the request of
the Zionist executive. opened hospital
in Haifa to meet the needs of the
Haluzim. In the same year it brought
one of the graduates of the Hadassah
Nurses Training School to the United
States for pOstgrnduate work lt Teach.