1705) Ilka Gedő

 Ilka Gedő (1921 – 1985). Hungarian painter and graphic artist.

In the first stage of her career, which came to an end in 1949, she created a huge number of drawings (especially self-portraits), that can be divided into various series. From 1950 on, Gedő did not take part in art life. Her interests turned to the philosophy of art, art history and colour theory and translated extensive passages from Goethe's theory of colours. From 1964 on, she resumed her artistic activities creating oil paintings.

 In 1946, she married the biochemist Endre Bíró, from whom she had two sons.

- "Ilka told me that she inherited her red hair from a distant aunt."  https://hal.science/hal-03197602v1/file/gender_memory_and_judaism.pdf

- "The only thing I do regret, however, is a drawing made in red chalk depicting Ilka Gedő with her red hair that hung to her shoulder." https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/D%C3%A1vid_B%C3%ADr%C3%B3--Ilka_Ged%C5%91-The_Painter_and_Her_Work.pdf

Self-portrait

Self-portrait

1704) Uri Zvi Greenberg

Uri Zvi Greenberg (also spelled Uri Zvi Grinberg). Israeli poet, journalist and politician who wrote in Yiddish and Hebrew.

Widely regarded among the greatest poets in the country's history, he was awarded the Israel Prize in 1957 and the Bialik Prize in 1947, 1954 and 1977, all for his contributions to fine literature. Greenberg is considered the most significant representative of modernist Expressionism in Hebrew and Yiddish literature.

He was born in Galicia (modern-day Ukraine) and moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1924. He joined the Revisionist camp in 1930 and after 1948 joined Menachem Begin's Herut movement. Greenberg was elected to the first Knesset, but lost his seat in the two years later.After the Six-Day War, he joined the Movement for Greater Israel, which advocated Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Scholar Dan Tamir considers Greenberg's ideology among the most prominent historical examples of "Hebrew fascism."

- "His red hair is aflame. His green eyes spit fire. His thin body sways like a storm-tossed tree."   https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/pft.2009.29.1.31

Portrait by Reuven Rubin

Portrait by Siona Tagger

1703) Jadwiga of Poland

Jadwiga (1373 or 1374 – 1399), also known as Hedwig. First female monarch of the Kingdom of Poland, as well as its last hereditary ruler. She reigned from 16 October 1384 until her death. Born in Buda, she was the youngest daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Poland and his wife, Elizabeth of Bosnia. 

In 1386 she married Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, who took the Catholic baptismal name Władysław, Jadwiga died due to postpartum complications and as her only daughter predeceased her, the Queen was the last hereditary monarch of Poland. With her death, the throne of Poland became elective. 

In 1997, she was canonized by the Catholic Church.

- "Jadwiga was said to have been tall and beautiful with red hair."   https://www.galwaycathedral.ie/news/saint-month-st-jadwiga#:~:text=Jadwiga%20was%20said%20to%20have,establish%20a%20department%20of%20Theology.

Effigy of Jadwiga on her seal

1702) Faustina Kowalska

Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament (born Helena Kowalska; 1905 – 1938). Polish Catholic religious sister and mystic. Faustyna, popularly spelled Faustina in English, had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy, therefore she is sometimes called the "secretary" of Divine Mercy.

Throughout her life, Kowalska reported having visions of Jesus and conversations with him, which she noted in her diary, later published as The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul. 

At the age of 20 years, she joined a convent in Warsaw. She was later transferred to Płock and then to Vilnius. The Catholic Church canonized Kowalska as a saint on 30 April 2000. Her tomb is in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Kraków, where she spent the end of her life.

- "A red-haired, bouncing Polish baby girl named Helen certainly did when she was born 119 years ago today into the home of a poor, peasant family who had its priorities straight."   https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/happy-119th-birthday-st-faustina#:~:text=It%20helps%20to%20have%20a,who%20had%20its%20priorities%20straight.

- "I discovered a red-haired and freckled young woman who, before entering the convent, loved to dress fashionably!" https://www.radiantmagazine.com/2019/02/18/my-friend-st-faustina/ 

Helena Kowalska before entering the convent

Portrait painting of Faustina Kowalska