Hasso 1 Norman Hasso Professor Katz Reflection Paper #3 Henrietta Szold in her efforts to aid in the construction of a Jewish

home in Palestine spent a large part of her life in the Holy Land providing basic needs such as healthcare to the general masses. It would be fair to say that her heart was in helping both Jew and Arab in Palestine, but especially Jew in establishing a center in which Jewish culture and inspiration [would] flow (86). Szold sees helping the struggling Jewish community in Palestine as an integral part of this plan. In her words we are living through times comparable only to the destruction of the second Temple (87). In her mind, the thousands of years of ancestry belonging to the Jews and the culture that has developed is at risk of annihilation and creating a place in Palestine for Jews to prosper together is essential to preserving their wonderful heritage. This key message is best summed up in her writing while in Jerusalem on June 21, 1920, as this aluminates the reasons behind why she feels a Jewish home in Palestine is so pivotal and underscores her desire for the preservation of the Jewish culture. In traveling across the Holy Land, Szold is overpowered by emotion as she views the landscapes that make up Palestine. She makes the claim that emotion is not sentimentality to try and show that the feelings she has towards the land are not personal, but that the land will evoke the same feelings to anyone who visits as it is truly an awesome land (141). However, it is clear to see that Szold is very sentimental towards the land as for someone without a religious or cultural tie, Palestine would likely appear to be treelesswaterlessand dry (141). In general these words are ones used to describe a desert or chaparral, which although to many may appear beautiful, it is clear that her reaction to the land as so beautiful that [she] almost resent[s]intention to make it blossom and bear fruit is based on sentimentality (141). She

Hasso 2 views the land differently than an impartial observer of the land would (141). Most people would have an opposite view towards land they have no sentimental view towards, in regards to trying to establish agriculture. Her partiality is further established as she explicitly says, I now understand [what] shaped Jewish sentiment during the thousands of years (141). Szold tries to make the claim that the land has no sentimentality for her, but the reality is she is of Jewish descent and this statement exemplifies her empathy with the Jews in their love of the land. If one were to not be of Jewish ancestry, this empathy would be of utmost difficult, unless another emotional tie would be made. It is clear that the emotion she claims the land evokes is centered in sentimentality as barren desert should not evoke the feelings she has. Szolds reactions to Ramadan show her fear that Palestine would be destroyed by the Arabs. Her discussion of the Arabs handing out pamphlets reading Down with the Jews exemplifies her views that it is important to preserve Palestine from incoming forces (142). She brings up how many were imprisoned for leading and participating in the Self-Defense during the Arab demonstrations and excesses (142). Szold views the need to establish a safe Jewish home and a strong Jewish home as critical to the survival of the Jewish culture. This theme is seen throughout her letters and in her life focus on helping Jews and Arabs in Palestine. Her goal is for Jews in the Holy Land to ultimately be able to stand up for themselves and preserve the wonderful culture that has been developed for thousands of years (141). Szold throughout her letters establishes her love of the Holy Land and her hopes that Zionism will become ever more popular. She wants to see a Jewish home in Palestine. Szolds strong feelings toward establishing a Jewish home in Palestine are exemplified in her letter while in Jerusalem on June 1, 1920. Her views of the land and the sentimentality it evokes for her clearly show how strongly she feels about a permanent Jewish home in Palestine.

Hasso 3 In her mind the culture of her people is at risk and the only way to preserve this culture is to offer a place where it can safely thrive as it did for thousands of years. This letter best summarizes her views because her emotion is most clearly shown in her travels throughout the Holy Land where as many of the other letters simply curtail her struggles while trying to help the Jews and Arabs in Palestine. These emotions are so critical as they best exemplify her views of the Holy Land and show why she views creating a Jewish home in Palestine as so important.