Baroness Bethsabee de Rothschild, Philanthropist
Bethsabee de Rothschild (1914-1999) was born to one of the more well known philanthropic families in Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. Shortly after her birth in London her family moved to Paris. Rothschild graduated from the Sorbonne with a bachelor’s degree in biology. When she was 26 her family moved to New York where she began studying chemistry at Columbia University however with the onset of the Second World War her life took another path when she decided to join the Free French Movement. During the war Rothschild worked as a liaison between the French and US military forces. After the war she moved back to the United States and enrolled in the Martha Graham’s School of Dance where she worked as Graham’s producer. In 1962 she moved to Israel. Bethsabee de Rosthschild is best known for her contributions to Israeli society with her support of the arts and sciences. One of her many contributions is the establishment of the Batsheva Dance Company. In 1989 she was awarded the Israel Prize for two foundations she created to advance science and technology.
For More Information: Jewish Women’s Archive: Eshel, Ruth. “Bethsabée Rothschild.” Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009. Jewish Women’s Archive. November 15, 2010