Hadassah
The first Hadassah chapter was formed in 1924 after Mrs. Rose Dunkelman from Toronto – who served as the first national Vice President of Hadassah -- visited the area at the invitation of several women from the community. The meeting was held in the home of Mrs. Slepkov, who was elected president. A few years later, the chapter dissolved after it merged with the Ladies Aid Society and later the Sisterhood Auxiliary of the synagogue.
In 1938, a group of young women established a junior Hadassah, called the Beth Alpha Chapter. Its first president was Hilda Rosenberg. In 1944, a senior local chapter of Hadassah was formed and called the Henrietta Szold Chapter. It was led by Mrs. Julia Kertzer (née Hoffman). For several years the two chapters functioned independently. However, they later merged in 1945. By 1951, the membership of the chapter reached an impressive 80 women. They focused their energies at that time on representing the community at Zionist councils, assisting with youth aliyah as well as reclaiming and rebuilding Israel.
The chapter ran a variety of events to raise funds to support these causes such as the famous bazaar, bingo nights, fashion shows, dances, teas and a host of other activities. During the 1950s and 1960s, the chapter members met twice a month in private homes. Most of the members were stay-at-home mothers who dedicated a lot of time and effort towards supporting the organization’s Zionist goals and ideals.
