A Sister in White

The Story of Schvester Selma

When tiny Selma arrived in Jerusalem in 1916 she found a muddy and backward city. A city of camels and sickness. Not enough food, not enough water. Selma had been invited to become head nurse in Shaare Zedek hospital, the first Jewish hospital built outside the walls of the Old City. Her contract said she would keep the job for three years. She stayed for over seventy. "A Sister in White" is the story of a hospital that grew from a forty-bed building with cows in the back to a major medical center. It is the story of an impoverished city, remembered only by Jews in the Diaspora, that became the thriving capital of the State of Israel. It is the story of wars and healing, of bombings and bandages. Most of all, it is the story of many unforgettable people. We meet Dr. Wallach, fiery founder of the hospital, well known for both his shouting and his enormous kindness, Dudu, black-eyed and sharp-tongued, who wasn't afraid to fight for her rights. and, of course, Schvester Selma herself, healing and comforting thousands in the most exciting, most embattled city in the world.
by Miriam Zakon