Jump to content

Els Bendheim

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Drkup(IMJ) (talk | contribs) at 21:00, 17 January 2023 (→‎Publications). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Els Bendheim
Personal
Born(1923-07-07)7 July 1923
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died12 January 2023(2023-01-12) (aged 99)
Jerusalem, Israel
ReligionJudaism
Spouse
Charles
​
(m. 1942)​
Children7
Alma materBarnard College
Occupation
  • theologian
  • author
  • photographer

Els Salomon-Prins Bendheim (Hebrew: רבקה בת יצחק ושפרה, romanized: Rivka bat Yitzhak ve Shifra; 7 July 1923 – 12 January 2023) was a Dutch Orthodox Jewish leader, theologian, author, and photographer. Born in Amsterdam, she contributed to helping medical and educational institutions in Jerusalem. Along with her husband, Charles Henry Bendheim, she worked with Uri Lupolianski to establish Yad Sarah in Israel in 1976. The couple were also involved in establishing and upkeeping the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. In addition, they were among the founding members of many Jewish Schools and Yeshivot, including Manhattan Day School, Stern College for Women and Yeshiva University. Els (Salomon-Prins) Bendheim received the honor of Yakir Yerushalayim, Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem, in 2002 for her work in these fields.

Biography

Els Salomon-Prins Bendheim was born on 7 July 1923 in Amsterdam. Daughter of Iwan Salomon and Sophie Wilhelmina Prins Salomon, and granddaughter of Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins. Her brother was Herman Prins Salomon. Her half siblings were Robert Salomon, Erna Steindecker and Theodore Salomon. Els Bendheim grew up in Amsterdam and attended the Amsterdams Lyceum.[1]

After Hitler's rise to power, she fled with her family in 1939 to Canada, there she attended school in Montreal, subsequently finishing Westmount High School. She graduated from Barnard College with a B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1944.[2][3] [4]

Els Bendheim completed the New York School of Interior Design in 1957. Throughout her life she was involved in photography and design. Although she was not able to keep her Dutch citizenship after becoming an American, Bendheim considered herself Dutch and remained in touch with her birthplace, often visiting the Netherlands. As a tribute to her love for Holland, she photographed hundreds of Dutch landscape views and tulips on her visits and later exhibited these works on the walls of Shaare Zedek Medical Center. [5]

Photographer: Els Bendheim
Edam-Zuidpolder windmill with flowers, 2008

For many decades, together with her husband Charles, former Chair of the International Board of Directors, Els helped ensure Shaare Zedek’s modern development. Her parents Sophie and Iwan Solomon of Amsterdam were among the earliest visionaries who worked towards the idea of a modern hospital in Jerusalem. The legacy of dedication to the hospital, which began with her parents, has since been passed on to her children and the younger generations, many of whom continue to work and serve on behalf of Shaare Zedek including Jack Bendheim, co-Chair of the International Board of Directors. [6]

In 1976, along with Uri Lupolianski, Bendheim established Friends of Yad Sarah Association in the United States. Her dedication to this project continued over forty years. Her son, Philip Bendheim, serves on the board and coordinates the activities of the Friends of Yad Sarah Associations in the United States and Europe.[7]

Bendheim, along with her husband, Charles, were dedicated to establishing and upkeeping many Jewish institutions worldwide, among them Yeshiva University, Stern College, the Jerusalem College of Technology. [8]

Bendheim published extensively in English, Hebrew and Dutch on topics of theology, rabbinic writings and European Jewish history. One of her more controversial position papers regarding Halakha was her involvement in the establishment of the Manhattan Eruv in 1962.[9][10]. Els Bendheim's position stressed the importance of community and inclusiveness with regard to members who were wheelchair bound and mother with infants in carriages; segments of the orthodox society who were unable to attended synagogue on the sabbath without an eruv.[11][12]

Els Salomon-Prins Bendheim, created a unique contribution to the President's residence in Jerusalem and published a book of blessings entitled "Pereḳ Shirah" which was first presented to President Chaim and Aura Herzog and later republished for subsequent presidents including their son, President Isaac Herzog.[13]

Bendheim had seven children. She died in Jerusalem on 12 January 2023, at the age of 99.[14]

Awards and honours

Publications

  • Memoirs of childhood : an approach to Jewish philosophy by Nima H Adlerblum, ed. Els Bendheim
  • Pereḳ Shirah: osef pesuḳim ṿe-ḳiṭʻe tefilah, 1986, Hebrew
  • The Manhattan Eruv: From the Writings of Rav Menachem M. Kasher, ed. Els Bendheim (Ktav Publishing House, 1986). ISBN 9780881251104
  • Parnas le-dorot : hagahot u-maʼamarot by Liepman Philip Prins, 1999/2001, Hebrew and English
  • The Synagogue Within : Antwerpen's Eisenmann Schul
  • The Lesson of Amalek : a teaching guide by Mayer Herskovics, ed. Els Bendheim, 1990/2007, English and Hebrew
  • Flowers for You: from Shaare Zedek Medical Center by Merkaz ha-refuʼi Shaʻare tsedeḳ (Jerusalem), English
  • Neʻimot Elef : catalogue of Hebrew books in the library of Eliezer Lipman Prinz, Amsterdam, now held in the Mizraḥi Teachers ̀seminary, Jerusalem by Judah Leyb Polak, ed. Els Bendheim, 1990, Hebrew
  • Parnas le-doro : hitkatvut Eliʻezer Lipman Prints ʻim ḥakhme doro by Liepman Philip Prins, 1992, Hebrew
  • Neʻimot Ele'f, 1992, Hebrew
  • Meyer Herskovics and Els Bendheim eds. Liepman Philip Prins: His Scholarly Correspondence. (New Jersey: Ktav, 1992)
  • parnes ledŵrŵ : hitkatbẇt ʼelyʻezer lypman prynṣ ʻim ḥakmey dŵrŵ by Liepman Philip Prins, 1992, Hebrew
  • Neʻimot ʼal"f : ʻim hofaʻat hasefer "Prins ledoro" leʼEliʻezer Lipman Prins, 1993, Hebrew
  • Letter dated 3 Nissan 5660 (1900) from the Chafetz Chaim to R. Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins by Israel Meir, 1993, Hebrew
  • The Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins Family Tree. (New York: Ezra, 1993)
  • The Eisenmann Shul, Vignettes : founded 5668-1908 by Jacob [Yaʻaḳov ha-Leṿi] Jacques S. Eisenmann, Oostenstraat 41, Antwerpen, België, 1998, English
  • Rededication of the "Eisenmann Sjoel" founded 5668-1908 by [Yaʻaḳov ha-Leṿi] Jacques S. Eisenmann : Oostenstraat 41, Antwerpen, België, 1998, English
  • Qehilat Yaʻaqov The Eisenmann Schul: vignettes, 1998, English
  • Commentaries of Rabbi Simon Hammelburg on Seder Nashim, edited and translated from Dutch by Els Bendheim
  • ʼEliʻezer Lipman Prinz̲ parnas ledorot : hagahot u-maʼamrot by Liepman Philip Prins, 1999, Hebrew
  • Pereḳ shirah : shirim zemirot u-verakhot, 2000, Hebrew
  • Aantekeningen in de marge : Liepman Philip Prins : een Ansterdamse geleerde uit de Mediene by Liepman Philip Prins, 2001, Dutch
  • Charlie Reminisces, 2002, English, eds. Noam Eisenberg and Els Bendheim
  • Els Reminisces, 2003, English

References

  1. ^ Els Reminisces, 2003, English
  2. ^ Bernard bulletin 1945
  3. ^ Barnard College Alumnae Magazine. Her daughter-in-law (1969), granddaughter (1993) and great granddaughter (2017) were alumni there as well [1] [2]
  4. ^ Els Bendheim, Els Reminisces, 2003, English
  5. ^ Flowers for you: from Shaare Zedek Medical Center by Merkaz ha-refuʼi Shaʻare tsedeḳ (Jerusalem), English
  6. ^ Obituary Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem, Facebook 12 January 2023
  7. ^ Yad Sarah site, board of trustees
  8. ^ Charlie Reminisces, 2002, English, eds. Noam Eisenberg and Els Bendheim
  9. ^ Video shows political clout of NYC Eruv supporters (14.07.2015). O'Dwyer's, Public Relations Marketing Communications News Resources (Accessed: January 17, 2023).
  10. ^ Rabbi Henkin along with other Rabbis of her time, was involved in this discussion
  11. ^ Mintz, A. (2014) It's a thin line: Eruv from Talmudic to modern culture. Brooklyn, NY: Ktav Publishing House. ISBN 1602802769.
  12. ^ The Manhattan Eruv. Edited by Els Bendheim, a compilation of rabbinic scholarship and source material published on the topic of the eruv.
  13. ^ Pereḳ shirah : shirim zemirot u-verakhot, 2000, Hebrew
  14. ^ Parashat Shemot — Covenant is not the same as brotherhood
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Els_Bendheim&oldid=1134269657"