The dedication of the Bible Gardens at Beth Israel Memorial Park had been optimistically planned to coincide with the anniversary of the State of Israel on May 14, 1954,1The Central New Jersey Home News, November 1, 1953 but finally took place on June 2, 1957. New Jersey Secretary of State Edward J. Patten, Alma Moldenke, co-author of Plants of the Bible, and Rabbi Theodore Friedman of Temple Beth El in Orange, New Jersey spoke. Ten-year-old Marjorie Tzeses presented a bouquet of Biblical flowers to the indisputable headliner of the event, Eleanor Roosevelt.
After her time as First Lady, Mrs. Roosevelt remained politically and socially engaged, much admired and extremely busy. Her syndicated feature, My Day, which had been running six days a week since December 31, 1935 reflected not only her opinions on the issues of the day, but also, in a fairly perfunctory way, her daily schedule. Her June 4, 1957 column ends with these lines:
On my return to New York Sunday I stopped in New Jersey for ceremonies opening the Bible Gardens of Israel at Woodbridge. I unveiled a 12-foot-high bas relief mat-portrait of the Holy Land in Biblical times. These gardens are an important project that will make Bible stories more real for children, for the sponsors plan to grow there the trees and flowers of the Holy Land.2Eleanor Roosevelt, My Day, June 4, 1957, The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Digital Edition (2017), accessed 8/13/2022.
Hortense Mendel and Ismar David were at Beth Israel that day, seated behind Mrs. Roosevelt. Hortense snapped a few of her signature woozy, yet atmospheric photos.
