Ethel Jenner Rosenberg

Ethel Jenner Rosenberg (August 6, 1858 - November 17, 1930) became the first English Bahá'í when she converted in 1899, after having been introduced to the Bahá'í Faith by Mary Thornburgh-Cropper, an American resident in London who had converted in 1898. Ethel Jenner Rosenberg was born in the city of Bath, Somerset to a Jewish family and was a painter trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. She was `Abdu'l-Bahá's social secretary during his visits to London. `Abdu'l-Bahá asked her, among others, to give consideration to publishing Bahá'í books, which resulted in the publication of `Abdu'l-Bahá in London and A Brief Account of the Bahai Movement. Rosenberg also assisted Laura Clifford Barney in compiling Some Answered Questions and Lady Blomfield in compiling Paris Talks.

She traveled to America three times, initially doing so with Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl and Laura Clifford Barney. She would spend many months in the United States and stayed with Phoebe Hearst.

Ethel Jenner Rosenberg made three pilgrimages to Haifa, in 1904, 1909, and 1921. When she arrived in Haifa for her third pilgrimage, in 1921, she arrived to find that `Abdu'l-Bahá had recently died. Remaining in Haifa, she greeted Lady Blomfield, Shoghi Effendi, and Shoghi Effendi's sister Ruhangiz when the three arrived from England on December 29, 1921. Shoghi Effendi gave her instructions for the calling of the first National Spiritual Assembly of England, which she would serve on.