Esther G. Gottesman (née Garfunkel; 1898–October 1, 1997) was an American philanthropist and Zionist.
Esther G. Gottesman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Esther Garfunkel 1898 |
| Died | October 1, 1997 (aged 98) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Benjamin Gottesman |
| Children | 2, including David Gottesman |
| Relatives | Samuel Gottesman (brother-in-law) |
Early life and education
editGottesman was the daughter of Aaron and Sarah Garfunkel.[1] Her father was a founder of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.[2] She graduated from New York University in 1921, the year she married banker and investment manager Benjamin Gottesman; he died in 1979.[1]
Career
editGottesman was a delegate to the first post-WWII World Zionist Congress, held in Basel, Switzerland, in 1946.[1] She was a member of World Zionist Organization Action Committee in the early years of Israeli statehood.[1]
She was active in the Board of Jewish Education (New York).[1] She was a member of the board of the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America from 1946 until her death.[1][2]
Gottesman is credited with developing Hadassah's house newsletter into Hadassah Magazine.[1][2]
Gottesman persuaded her brother-in-law Samuel Gottesman to purchase the Dead Sea Scrolls and give them to Israel; the family built the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum to hold the scrolls.[1][2]
Personal life
editThe Gottesman's had two sons, David S. Gottesman and Milton M. Gottesman.[1]
Gottesman and her husband were donors to Yeshiva University, where the Mendel Gottesman Library is named after her father-in-law.[1]