Hadassah
The Queen Esther chapter of Hadassah was inaugurated in 1922, just five years after the movement was launched in Canada. Mrs. Louis (Sarah) Abramson was its first president and Miss Celia Zacks was secretary. A second group, the "Kingston Chapter," was started by Mrs. Isaac (Anna) Cohen in 1924. This group maintained a separate identity for some twenty years, before amalgamating with the Queen Esther group in the early 1940s.
Membership in Hadassah was part of the life of most of the women in the Beth Israel congregation, especially in the early years. So much baking was involved that one community member grew up believing that Hadassah was a bakery where his mother and sisters worked. Intense preparations were also the order of the day for Hadassah bazaars, which were big social events. There were fancy teas, at which the women dressed elegantly. All this activity and other initiatives as well, including a baby photo contest, were carried out in order to raise money for educational and public health projects in Palestine and then Israel.
As important as the funds raised by Hadassah were for the Jewish homeland, the organisation was equally important for the women involved. They fulfilled their sense of belonging and commitment to the Jewish people and at the same time enjoyed each other's company, strengthened their own communities and often developed leadership skills by serving on the executive locally or nationally. For instance, Merle Koven served as National Vice-President of the organisation.
A Bazaar Preview
Dorothy Shanas talks about what happened when the Engineer's Wives met at her house to preview merchandise collected for the Bazaar, and the warning she had to give to her son, David.
Interview with Dorothy Shanas, 11 July 2007, Sharon Gubbay Helfer. OJA Oral History #327
Click here to watch the video
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