Bloch, Zipora

Hebrew-Name
ציפורה בלוך
Biography
Zipora Bloch was born in 1901 in Russia and died on 8.2.1979 in Jerusalem. Zipora studied law and philology at Kiev University. Following the riots against Jews in east Europe, she worked in transition camps with youth and children that were disengaged from their families. She emigrated to Palestine in March 1921. She was introduced to the Joint organization by Rachel Ben-Zvi (an author, educator and a leading Labour Zionist, also the wife of the second president of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi), and soon began working with girls that were moved to the youth village "Meir Shefya", and later also with boys in another youth village in the north. Though very satisfied with her work, she was very ill in those years, suffering from malaria. She also acted as a case worker (non-professional) at the Nachalat Achim settlement house in Jerusalem in the late 1920s. In 1929 she travelled to Berlin and studied social work at the school of Dr (Ms) Schank /Jugendheim Charlottenburg as an observer in the 1929/30 winter semester. She did several internships in Berlin during this period (central for private welfare work, youth welfare office in Berlin-Schöneberg, care office in Berlin and Jewish welfare office in Berlin). Zipora continued her studies at the London School of Economics in the field of juvenile delinquency and preventive educational work at schools (children's casework, probation work, and settlements work). In 1942 she worked at the social work department of the Va'ad Leumi (Jewish National Council), in charge of youth and child care. She was also a lecturer at Siddy Wronsky's social work school in Jerusalem. In 1948, on the establishment of the Jerusalem ministry of welfare, she was appointed as the national supervisor of the youth and child care department. Zipora was also a member of the Mapai Party (the labour workers' party in Israel).