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PAGE 8 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 24, 1986
Hadassah anniversary
Esther Taylor is honorary chairman
by Carolyn Gold
An elegant woman of keen
intelligence, well-honed leadership
skills, classic musical ability, and
dogged determination to erase
societal ills is the woman Hadas
sah has chosen as honorary chair
man of its 70th Atlanta anniver
sary. The woman is Mrs. Herbert
Taylor.
Many young women who reached
adulthood in the ’70s and ’80s
think of themselves as the origi
nal feminists. They need to look
closely at Atlanta-born Esther
Taylor’s record of over 50 years
of breaking barriers in Jewish
and community activities. Hers
is an activism grounded in the
issues of many decades, fired by
self-development, study and per
sonal interests. Her participation
started as far back as 1921 when
she served as president of the
Girls’ High School student body.
As was almost the custom in
those days, she married the next
year. Yet life as a very young
bride did not mean bridge games
and new recipes to Esther Kahn
Taylor. She was the first woman
Hebrew teacher in Atlanta. She
took music and language lessons,
and later studied French at the
Sorbonne in Paris and at Laval
University in Quebec. She pursued
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piano training during summers
at the Juilliard School of Music
in New York.
For many years she performed
in duo-piano concerts here and
lent her musical talents to Jewish
organizations. She added to these
pursuits a dedication to worthy
causes. With her activity came
the community’s growing recog
nition of her as a leader in reli
gious, cultural, and service or
ganizations.
Perhaps in tribute to her hus
band’s encouragement and par
ticipation in these activities, Mrs.
Taylor has always preferred to be
identified as Mrs. Herbert Tay
lor, rather than by the more
modern usage of Esther Taylor.
Serving from 1932 to 1934,
Taylor was one of the first five
presidents of Atlanta Hadassah.
She calls these women the most
committed of all with whom she
ever has worked. In addition, she
directed Hadassah’s choral group
for three years and narrated, pro
duced and directed innumerable
musical programs for the organi
zation. In 1959 she chaired an
Israel Fashion Festival.
Her home became a reception
center for visiting celebrities. One
such event honored Abba Eban,
then Israeli ambassador to the
United States, and his wife. At
Esther Taylor
another, opera star Blanche
Thebom was the guest of honor
at a party for new and life mem
bers of Hadassah.
In 1938, Mrs. Taylor chaired
the planning for a Southeastern
Regional Hadassah Convention
in Atlanta. She also presented
the program for the first women’s
committee of what was to become
the Women’s Division of the Wel
fare Fund. All the Jewish women’s
organizations in the city held a
joint meeting at the Mayfair Club.
After opening remarks by Mrs.
I.M. Weinstein, Mrs. Taylor’s
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program traced musical develop
ments in Jewish history.
Esther Taylor’s talents served
the needs of one organization
after another, from the Ahavath
Achim Sisterhood to the YWCA.
When Atlanta Council of Jewish
Women held its annual Sabbath
Services at the Temple in 1949 it
was Mrs. Taylor who delivered
the sermon.
As chairman of radio educa
tion for the Atlanta Music Club
in the 1940s, she presented daily
music education programs on
station WCON for scheduled
music periods in the public
schools. She has served on the
board of the Music Club for 45
years and has officiated as vice
president and as the creator of
many musical narratives on the
lives of famous composers.
Her advocacy interests en
compass a wide range of issues.
In 1939 she served as a delegate
to a Washington Conference on
Cause and Cure of War. This
group was received by Eleanor
Roosevelt. Esther Taylor also
served as legislative chairperson
for NCJ W and worked to enforce
child labor legislation.
In 1949 Mrs. Taylor prepared
a paper on great women in Jew
ish history, from Queen Esther to
Henrietta Szold and Hannah Sol
omon. This study undoubtedly
help spark her interest in women’s
issues. In the early ’60s Esther
Taylor founded and became the
first president of Planned Par
enthood of Atlanta.
When birth control was a topic
relegated to whispers, Mrs. Tay
lor forthrightly spoke to editors,
community leaders and civic clubs
to gain support for a clinic for
poor women. At that time this
area had an infant death rate as
high as that of the world’s poor
est countries.
At home Esther and Herbert
Taylor have entertained famous
musicians such as Van Cliburn-
Jewish organizations such as the
City of Hope auxiliary, Brandeis
and Pace Setters of the Welfare
Fund drive; and visiting speakers
on behalf of Planned Parenthood.
The Taylors’ world travels
opened their eyes and hearts to
many international problems and
increased their dedication to cor
rect community needs. Their gen
erosity has meant the establish
ment of the Louis Kahn Group
Home for the elderly, in what
was their former residence on
Markan Drive. It is named in memory
of Esther’s brother.
They have also established a
NCJW Tribute Fund for Advo
cacy. As far back as 1950 the
couple donated the Taylor Jew
ish Music Library at the Atlanta
Jewish Community Center. They
have given Steinway grand pia
nos to the AJCC, the Ahavath
Achim Synagogue and the Jew
ish Home.
The Herbert and Esther Tay
lor Foundation of the Atlanta
Jewish Federation provides fund
ing for 14 Atlanta organizations.
The couple also has funded the
Taylor Composition Contest in
music, a pilot music project for
Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs in
Atlanta, and recently, a Forum
on Child Abuse.
Esther Taylor is battling health
problems that might have side
lined a less determined woman.
She continues a schedule that
keeps her abreast of her many
interests and involved in the var
ied activities of her son Mark, his
wife Judith, and her four grand
children.
Her resolve to use her talents
and her means to help others
serves as a model to many and a
standard which Atlanta’s Hadas
sah will honor in its 70th year of
service.
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