Hadassah Touts Film About Founder Szold

The Hadassah Greater Atlanta Chapter is thrilled that the movie, “Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold,” was chosen to be a part of the 2026 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. It is a biographical documentary about Szold, the founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Szold was a force of nature who galvanized a global network of Jewish women. She was a Jewish American humanitarian and a visionary Zionist.

Abby Ginzberg, the film’s director, joined some Hadassah members for the showing at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and explained, “Through archival footage, intimate letters, and firsthand reflections lifted by Tovah Feldshuh’s stirring narration, this film honors a trailblazer whose moral clarity, courage, and humanity continue to echo today.”

Phyllis M Cohen, Hadassah Greater Atlanta past president and advisor, noted, “Henrietta created the Youth Aliyah Program, which rescued thousands of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe. Youth Aliyah continues today through Hadassah’s two Youth Aliyah villages which support at-risk youth in Israel, including many immigrants, disadvantaged native Israelis, and young people who have struggled in traditional educational settings.”

Advocacy Chair for Hadassah Greater Atlanta, Simone Wilker, points out, “Our 3,000 Hadassah members in Atlanta continue Henrietta’s legacy as a builder of a modern healthcare and social service system in Israel. The Hadassah Medical Organization operates two major hospitals in Jerusalem and is internationally known for medical innovation, research, and humanitarian care. Jewish, Muslim, Christian and international patients are treated side-by-side, regardless of background. A major portion of the capital projects, research, and special programs are funded by Hadassah donors who want to expand on Henrietta’s ideas of helping others, as a symbol of American Jewish partnership with Israel.”

The film tells how Szold’s vision and tireless work helped build health care, rescue vulnerable children, and inspire generations of women and humanitarians worldwide. Hadassah is one of the largest Jewish women’s volunteer organizations in the United States with about 300,000 members, associates and supporters. When sitting for a portrait, Szold told the artist, “Make my eyes look to the future!” Now, 114 years later, Hadassah stands strong in Israel, in the United States, and globally as the bridge to peace through medicine. Go to: www.hadassah.org for more information.