Tag Archive for: dvora hacohen

Dvora Hacohen is an Israeli historian and a professor in the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. Her authoritative biography, To Repair a Broken World: The Life of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah, introduces a new generation to the remarkable leader who championed women’s rights and the poor. Born in Baltimore in 1860, Henrietta Szold was driven by the mission of tikkun olam, “repair of the world.” As the child of immigrants, she established a night school open to all faiths to teach English to Russian Jews in her hometown. Szold became the first woman to study at the Jewish Theological Seminary and served as the first editor for the Jewish Publication Society. In 1912, she founded Hadassah, an international women’s organization dedicated to humanitarian work and community building. A passionate Zionist, Szold was troubled by the Jewish–Arab conflict in Palestine and sought a peaceful and equitable solution for all.