Hochwald Katz, Hilde (née Hochwald)

Hebrew-Name
הילדא הוכוולד-אלכסנדר כץ
Biography
Hilde Hochwald Alexander-Katz (née Hochwald) was born on 12.5.1902 in Berlin and died in 1992 in Haifa. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher of infants born outside marriage. With the encouragement of her mother, who did voluntary social work, she studied later at the Alice Salomon school (Soziale Frauenschule, Berlin; full course October 1927/29) and did her practical training at a refugee center of Eastern Europe Jews (Jiddisches Volksheim). Other activities in Germany were in a Jewish orphan's home, in a 'Kinderlandheim' (not specified), Jewish children's welfare office, diverse leading activities as kindergartener, one year leader of infant department of Jewish welfare school (not specified). She also worked at the institution for Jewish girls managed by Bertha Pappenheim, who emphasized the religious aspect of the profession. Pappenheim's approach did not suit the spirit of the Zionist youth movements. To the dismay of her parents, who were assimilated Jews, Hochwals became closer to Zionism and went to work at the Kovno institution of Dr. Siegfried Lehmann in preparing children for immigration to Palestine. She herself immigrated to Palestine in 1929, striving to be a pioneer in a kibbutz. Finally, she settled in Haifa and worked as a nanny at the WIZO nursery, but soon was appointed to head the institution. As a result, she was invited by Henrietta Szold to work as a social worker in the Youth Aliyah. Later, she served as an executive secretary in the Union of nurses, social workers, and pharmaceutical, a rare opportunity that has opened the door to assimilate professional social work in the worker's union. Then, she became a national supervisor by the National Council in the field of outdoor care and arrangement of immigrant children. In 1934 she was appointed by Siddy Wronsky to map, investigate and supervise foster care families and institutions, while monitoring the status of these children. From 1941 until her retirement in 1967 she directed the Bureau of social work in Haifa, where she implemented the concept of team meetings and emergency social work and set up a nursery, clothing warehouses and soup kitchen as well as an advice center for citizens. In addition, she wrote articles in international journals and in 1957 took part in the advisory committee to the minister of welfare Moshe Shapira. She was identified with Mapai Party (the labor workers party in Israel). Hilde was married later in her life to Ernst Alexander Katz, A Jewish-German lawyer/economist. The couple had no children.
Marriage/Children
Married to Ernst Alexander Katz, a lawyer and economist. They had no children.
Age at Migration
27
Year of Migration
1929
Archival Materials
ASA C2.12