A public memorial service has been scheduled for Edith Rosenwald Stern, a leading New Orleans philanthropist and leading campaign for Israel to which she contributed funds throughout her life, who died in her home here last Thursday after a long illness. She was 85 years old. Funeral services were held Friday.
The Stern Fund, of which she was a founder and which is based in New York, distributes as much as $500,000 a year to encourage political action and social change. Mrs. Stern was the daughter of the late Julius Rosenwald of Chicago who helped to finance Sears Roebuck in its early years. A leading philanthropist, he imbued his children with such views, Mrs. Stern’s brother, William Rosenwald, is a founder of the United Jewish Appeal.
For more than 50 years after she first arrived here, Mrs. Stern supported often unpopular liberal causes. With her husband, she was a founder of the Dillard University, a predominantly Black college in New Orleans. Her home, Longue Vue, a 48-room mansion, which she opened to the public before her death, is now a museum.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
