Lady Reading Dies at 78

The Marchioness of Reading, president of the British Section of the World Jewish Congress and a member of its World Executive, a noted social worker, a dedicated Zionist campaigner, and one of the outstanding women of her generation, died here yesterday, one week after her 78th birthday.

Eva Violet Reading was the daughter of the First Lord Melchett (Alfred Mond) and the widow of the Second Marquis of Reading (Gerald). But Eva Reading made her mark in her own right, both at the Jewish and non-Jewish levels. Her mother was a Roman Catholic and she was brought up as one. When she was 27, and after a journey to Israel with her father, her Jewish roots asserted themselves and she was formally converted to Judaism by Dr. Maurice Perlzweig.

From then on she embarked on an incessant and effective campaign on behalf of Zionism, the Zionist funds and other Jewish causes. She joined the WJC early and became one of its leading figures. For a number of years she chaired effectively the European Executive of the WJC. In the British Section, she was an active and effective president, almost until her last days. At the non-Jewish level, Eva Reading was president of the National Council of Women and a leading figure in the area of social welfare. Her members appeared at the beginning of the year under the title, “For The Record.”

The World Zionist Organization-Executive meeting in Jerusalem adopted a resolution by acting chairman Arye Dulzin calling for an immediate plan for the immigration of 1000 families from France.