Betty Rothschild grew up in Frankfurt nurtured in Jewish tradition and tutored in French, music, and drawing. At nineteen, she married her uncle James and moved to Paris where she presided over a salon famous for its opulence and the brilliance of its guests. Betty was a friend of Queen Marie-Amelie, the pupil of Chopin, and was painted by Ingres. She prepared her five children to assume leading roles in French society while simultaneously serving the Jewish community. She devoted her vast energy to philanthropic activities with a particular emphasis on the needs of young Jewish women.
«In this fascinating and far-reaching biography of Baroness Betty de Rothschild, Laura S. Schor went beyond the bejeweled image of a wealthy aristocrat celebrated by Ingres and discovered a political woman bent on reconciling Jewish life with the modern world, and a philanthropist determined to educate both boys and girls for a fulfilling existence in contemporary France.» (Anka Muhlstein, Author of 'Baron James: The Rise of the French Rothschilds' and Prix Goncourt Recipient for her 1996 Biography 'A Taste for Freedom: The Life of Astophe de Custine')