Miriam Freund-Rosenthal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miriam K. Freund-Rosenthal
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|---|---|
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| Born |
Miriam Kottler
1906 |
| Died | January 16, 1998 (aged 91) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) |
Milton B. Freund
(m. 1927; died 1968)Harry Rosenthal
(m. 1974; died 1989) |
Miriam Kottler Freund-Rosenthal was an important American leader. She was born in 1906 and passed away in 1999. She is most famous for being the president of Hadassah. This is a big women's organization that supports Israel.
Contents
Miriam Freund-Rosenthal's Life
Miriam Kottler was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 1, 1906. She grew up in Harlem, New York, and also in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Her mother, Rebecca Zindler, was part of one of the first Zionist women's groups.
Miriam was a very smart student. She earned her first college degree from Hunter College in 1925. Later, she continued her studies at New York University. There, she earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in American history by 1935.
In 1927, Miriam married Milton B. Freund. They had two sons, Matthew and Harry. Milton passed away in 1968. Miriam later remarried in 1974 to Harry Rosenthal. She then moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he lived. Miriam Freund-Rosenthal died in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1998 when she was 92 years old.
Her Career and Work
Miriam Freund-Rosenthal worked as a teacher for 15 years. She taught in the New York City Public Schools until 1944. She also helped raise money to start Brandeis University in 1948. This is a well-known university in Massachusetts.
Leading Hadassah
Miriam became very involved with Hadassah, a large women's Zionist organization. After her first trip to Israel in the late 1930s, she began speaking to Hadassah groups. In 1940, she joined the national board of the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America. She held many important roles on the board. These included chairing committees for youth education and vocational training.
In 1956, Miriam Freund-Rosenthal was chosen as the national president of Hadassah. During her four years as president, Hadassah built a new medical center. This hospital was in Ein Karem, a neighborhood in Jerusalem. The original hospital on Mount Scopus could not be used at the time.
Miriam helped make the new medical center very special. She convinced a famous artist named Marc Chagall to create beautiful stained-glass windows for the hospital's synagogue. These windows show the twelve tribes of Israel and are now very famous. After her time as president, she continued to serve Hadassah in other important roles. She also represented Hadassah at the United Nations.
After Her Presidency
Miriam Freund-Rosenthal continued her work and studies even after her Hadassah presidency. She was a founding member of the World Bible Society. She also gave a speech about "Medicine and the Hebraic Tradition" at a big international meeting.
When she moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, she helped create a fund for Hadassah's educational programs. In her late eighties, she led the effort to put together a book called A Tapestry of Hadassah Memories. This book shared stories and memories from many Hadassah leaders. In 1991, she was honored as an American regent for a group that teaches about Jewish civilization at universities.
Books by Miriam Freund-Rosenthal
- Jewish Merchants in Colonial America (1939). This book was based on her doctoral studies.
- Jewels for a Crown (1963). This book is about the beautiful Chagall windows in Jerusalem.
- In My Lifetime: Family, Community, Zion, (1989). This is a memoir, which means it's a book about her own life and memories.
- A Tapestry of Hadassah Memories (1994). Miriam helped gather stories from over 200 Hadassah members for this book.
