Vitality of Hadassah’s Local Chapters in America: Madison’s Rachel S. Jastrow Chapter of Hadassah

Abstract

American Zionism emerged from Theodor Herzl’s secular Zionist rhetoric that sparked a new movement for a Jewish return to Zion, their homeland. Finding America to be a refuge of hope and renewal, many American Jews rejecting Herzl’s Zionist vision, adopting a spiritual Jewish rebirth coupled with American principles, resulting in the birth of American Zionism. Within the American Zionist movement arose Hadassah, the American Women’s Zionist organization, becoming the largest American Zionist organization in the United States in the decade following its conception. Driven and largely supported by its local chapters, Hadassah was able to exert its influence both nationally and internationally. The following paper examines the role of Hadassah’s Rachel S. Jastrow Madison Chapter and its contributions to the broader achievements of the organization.