Sarah Kussy Papers

Sarah Kussy was born in Newark, New Jersey on June 27, 1869 to Gustav and Bella (Bloch) Kussy. She graduated from the Teachers Training School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1906, and continued to be involved in both teaching and the Conservative movement for the rest of her life. A passionate Zionist, Kussy was a member of the National Executive Committee of the Zionist Organization of America, a delegate to the 1913 and 1929 World Zionist Congresses, and an active member of Hadassah (of which she was also a founder and an honorary vice president).

Kussy was a founder of the Ladies' Patriotic Relief Society of Newark in 1898 (for relief of families left poor by the departure of their male members for the Spanish-American war) and of the Newark section of the National Council of Jewish Women. She was heavily involved in the Miriam Auxiliary of Oheb Shalom (of which her mother and aunt were early members) and helped to establish their religious school, originally intended to combat the activities of Christian missionaries.

Kussy served as the honorary vice president of the Women's League of the United Synagogue of America (later renamed the Women's League for Conservative Judaism), and was the associate editor of its official organ, The Outlook. She authored several booklets, including A Handbook and Guide for Jewish Women's Organizations (1944) and A Family Chronicle: The Story of Gustav and Bella Kussy of Newark, NJ. She received the Chayil Citation for outstanding achievement in Jewish cultural pursuits in 1952, and a forest in Israel was named for her in 1950.

Kussy died in Newark on October 2, 1956. .

Sources: Who's Who in American Jewry (1938-1939), American Jewish Year Book (1958), The Concise Dictionary of American Jewish Biography.