Brazina Documentary Film series- November 2025

Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of

Henrietta Szold

Registration opens 9/4/25

Henrietta Szold is among the most influential American Jewish women who ever lived, She founded Hadassah in 1912, becoming a major force in early twentieth century in Palestine: she established its health care system, treating Jews and Arabs equally, shaped its education system and initiated social services that prevail today.  Szold helped organize Youth Aliyah, which successfully rescued thousands of Jewish children from Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1930s and transported them to Palestine.  

The oldest daughter of a Baltimore rabbi, Szold devoted her early adulthood to her father and his scholarly research.  Unlike her four younger sisters, she didn’t go to college, marry or have children.  However, her organizational skills were evident from an early age, when she founded the first night school for Russian immigrants devoting her time and energy to making sure they learned English. After her father’s death, she devoted her life to another biblical scholar, Louis Ginzberg.  She was his translator and editor, taught him English, accompanied him on long walks, traded heartfelt letters with him, and fell in love with him.  When he announced his engagement to a 22-year-old German woman he had known for just weeks, Henrietta suffered a stunning, and very public, emotional collapse.

This heartfelt documentary, is directed by Peabody award-winner, Abby Ginzberg, brings long-overdue recognition to Szold, offering a thought-provoking look at a woman who reshaped history through compassion and an unwavering belief in the power of humanity. An interestingt twist: Louis Ginzberg later married Adele Katzenstein, who became Abby Ginzberg's grandmother.  Abby Ginzberg's family connection to Louis Ginzberg, her grandfather, gives her a unique perspective on this aspect of Szold's life and is incorporated into the film.

Click HERE to watch trailer

The film runs 80 minutes