Eva Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading

Eva Violet Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading was a British philanthropist, Zionist activist, children's welfare advocate, and writer. Among other roles, she served as Vice President of the World Jewish Congress, President of its British section, and President of the National Council of Women.

Biography

Eva Violet Mond was born in Lowndes Square, London, the eldest daughter of Sir Alfred Mond and Violet Goetze. Her paternal grandfather was German-born chemist and industrialist Ludwig Mond. Though her father was of Jewish descent, Eva was baptised and raised in her mother's Anglican faith.
On 28 September 1914, she married Gerald Rufus Isaacs, son of Alice Cohen and Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, in a civil ceremony. She began reconnecting with her Jewish heritage after a series of trips to Palestine, and formally converted to Judaism under the supervision of Rabbi Dr. Maurice Perlzweig in 1933. She thereafter became a member of London's Liberal Jewish Synagogue and an active Zionist.
Lady Reading became involved in various child welfare charities, including as Chairman of the National Society of Day Nurseries and as member of the General Nursing Council. She toured the United States as a representative of the United Jewish Appeal in 1939, and the same year became president of the British section of the World Jewish Congress. Under her leadership, the organisation petitioned the British government to take action to save Jews during the Holocaust. She meanwhile served as regional adviser on child care for the Ministry of Health from 1940 to 1945, and served as vice chairman of the Children's Refugee Movement, which supported 10,000 orphaned Jewish refugees. She became vice president of the World Jewish Congress in 1947, and from 1955 to 1957 served as president of the National Council of Women.
She died at her home in Thakeham, West Sussex, on 14 August 1973, one week after her 78th birthday.

Personal life

Lady Reading and her husband had three children:

Michael Alfred Rufus Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading, who married Margot Irene Duke;
Lady Joan Alice Violet Isaacs , who married Solly Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman; and
Lady Elizabeth Ann Mary Hornsby.
Titles and honours

She was styled as Viscountess Erleigh from 1917, and as Marchioness of Reading upon her father-in-law's death in 1935. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1957 for her work in child welfare, and in 1971 received an honorary fellowship from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in recognition of her "distinguished services to the cause of Israel and humanity".

Publications

Illustrated by Mary Adshead.
Illustrated by E. H. Shepard.

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