Hadassah
Inside Look
Hadassah’s Early History in Atlantic City—in Photographs
Hadassah Magazine published “The Jewish Traveler: Atlantic City” in the June/July 2011 issue. Written by frequent magazine contributor Rahel Musleah, that travel feature proved to be one of our most popular to focus on a domestic destination. Beyond childhood memories and continued summers spent in the down the shore resort mecca, many readers were particularly taken with one photo that accompanied the text. It was a Hadassah image from the organization’s 1937, 25th-anniversary convention, held in Atlantic City.
The image, shared below, features several Hadassah leaders whose identities I was unable to fit into the caption. What followed was the richest inundation of letters I have ever received as Hadassah Magazine‘s travel editor. Many members wrote to me with the belief that their mother/aunt/grandmother was among the group of proud Zionist women strolling along the boardwalk. In some cases, the letter writers were correct.
Flash-forward six years till today, when I thought it might be time to update the travel story to reflect new trends and tourist facts in Atlantic City. But knowing firsthand how precious early Hadassah memories remain to our hundreds of thousands of members, particularly reminiscences that incorporate Americana touchstones like summering in Atlantic City, I cannot “only” post our updated travel story. There is a Hadassah component that must be shared as well. In my original photo research all those years ago I assembled several vintage images from the Hadassah Archives, including the image of the women on the boardwalk; I share all of them with you now. My hope is that this photographic look back to the 1920s-1950s—when Hadassah held several conventions in Atlantic City, taking advantage of the grand hotels, kosher catering options and bracing sea air—engenders the same warm, reflective response from our readers as the original story.
Anyone recognize someone?








ab says
I grew up in the 1950s on the Jersey Shore and my Dad took us to Atlantic City for July 4th fireworks and other weekends at the beach trips…this is wonderful, and thank you for sharing.
Susan Woodland says
Thank you Libby, a good follow-up to the 2011 article. Please note a couple of historical detail:
Zip Szold was not Henrietta Szold’s niece; Henrietta was one of 5 sisters, no brothers, so the Szold name did not extend into the next generation. Zip had married a “cousin” of the Szold sisters, Robert Szold, New York City lawyer and dedicated Zionist. Visit the Hadassah archives at the American Jewish Historical society for more information on Szold’s family, for more detailed captions and credit information for some of the photographs, to identify more women in some of the photographs (especially Hadassah founders) and for a lot more wonderful Hadassah history.
Libby Barnea says
Susan, nice to hear from you! I just amended the caption. Thanks!