Jewish Heroines:
Making Their (Post)Mark
Reaching for the Sky
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Another Jewish heroine whose bravery was noted on a stamp issued in February is Judith Resnik. Resnik's bravery, however, would probably not come to mind if it were not for the tragic explosion of the Challenger in January 1986.
The first stamp to commemorate that event was issued by Hungary on February 21, 1986 (#2971), less than a month later.
Subsequently Resnik's image has appeared on stamps from Central African Republic (#818, 823), Guinea (#C167, C169), Mauritania (#610), Uganda (#968), Grenada (#2330-1) and Grenada-Grenadines (#1660-1).
Resnik was born in Cleveland in 1949 and raised in Akron, and went on to earn an engineering degree from Carnegie-Mellon University and a doctorate degree from the University of Maryland. Dr. Resnik became an astronaut candidate in 1978 (she was one of six women and 29 men chosen from 8,000 applicants). Her first trip in space was in 1984.
Resnik was brought up as a Jew, and was bat mitzvahed. However, as an adult, she was not an observant Jew. She said that she wanted to be thought of as an astronaut, without any modifying adjective such as "Jewish" or "female."
Other Jewish women are noteworthy, because they served (and continue to stand out) as role models. Many of these Jewish heroines have appeared on stamps with a February tie-in. For example, several famous Jewish women appearing on stamps were born in February.
Among these was one of the world's greatest actresses, Rachel. She was born Rachel Felix on February 28, 1821. She became the leading actress at the Comedie Francaise and one of the first international actresses to capture the imagination of audiences in many countries as a result of her tours. She is shown on France #999, issued in 1961, and again on Israel #1330f, from 1998. (My Judaica stamp collection has been the
culprit in the rampant expansion of my Jewish book collection, as I strive to learn more about the Jewish men and women depicted on philatelic issues. A recent acquisition was a biography about Rachel, published in 1858, only a few months after her death).
Another Jewish heroine or role model born this month (on February 9, 1854) was Aletta Jacobs, seen as one of the Dutch women suffragettes honored on Netherlands #591 issued in 1979.
She was also the first woman to become a doctor in the Netherlands.
Similarly, Bertha Pappenheim, who was the founder of the Jewish Women's League, a social service agency in Germany,
and a crusader against the prostitution trade, was born on February 27, 1859. Sigmund Freud referred to her as "Anna O" when he wrote about her case. She appears on Germany Scott #B341 issued in 1954.
February Passings
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