“A Never Ending Source of Wonder”: The Women of Hadassah Create a Modern Medical Center in Jerusalem

Abstract:The inauguration of the Hadassah University Medical Center in 1939 was a milestone in the activities of the Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America in Eretz Israel. Until that point, the organization had focused on developing and providing curative and preventative health and social care in Palestine. The establishment of a modern medical center, incorporating nursing and medical schools, changed the organization’s objectives to include medical and scientific research. The building was designed by renowned architect Erich Mendelsohn and became not only one of his most celebrated successes but also an outstanding example of pre-state Israeli architecture. This article examines the influence of Hadassah’s mission and vision on the outcome of the building. What cultural and ideological values were manifested in the architecture of this hospital, built in pre-state Israel by a group of American Jewish Zionist women?