Jewish Women's Congress facts for kids

The Jewish Women's Congress was a special meeting held in Chicago, Illinois, from September 4 to 7, 1893. It was part of a much larger event called the Parliament of the World's Religions, which took place during the World's Columbian Exposition (a big world's fair).

This congress was led by Hannah G. Solomon. It was the first time Jewish women gathered to discuss important topics beyond just charity or helping each other. During this meeting, a great idea was born: to create a lasting group called the National Council of Jewish Women. This group would connect Jewish women all across the United States.

A Historic Gathering for Jewish Women

In 1893, a huge event called the World's Fair Congress Auxiliary was planned. As part of this fair, organizers decided to hold a "Parliament of Religions." This parliament included a main meeting for all religions and smaller meetings for specific religious groups.

Planning the Jewish Women's Congress

A special committee was formed to help plan the religious parliament. This committee had two parts: one for men and one for women. Ellen Martin Henrotin was the vice-president of the women's part. When the Jewish Women's Committee first met, they decided to follow the same plans as other groups.

They also had a unique idea: to collect and publish traditional Jewish melodies. This would be a special souvenir from the event. To get people excited about the Jewish Congress and the souvenir, they sent out notices. These notices went to all Jewish newspapers and asked for help from anyone interested.

Bringing Women Together

The committee sent letters to big cities, asking Jewish women to hold meetings. At these meetings, women could choose people to represent them at the Congress. This plan worked even better than they expected! Women from 29 different cities came, with a total of 93 delegates.

The committee worked very hard, sending and receiving over 2,000 letters. They reached out to people in the United States and England. The team in charge of the program found many ideas for topics and names of women who could write papers. It was a big job to organize everything and choose who would speak. They made sure that women from all over the country were included. Two women were also chosen to present papers at the main Parliament of Religions.

Important Decisions Made

During the business meeting of the Congress, two key decisions were made. First, they decided to publish everything that happened at the Congress. Second, and most importantly, they voted to form a new, permanent organization. This new group became known as the National Council of Jewish Women.

Important Topics and Speakers

Many talented Jewish women shared their ideas and knowledge at the Congress. They spoke about different aspects of Jewish life and women's roles throughout history and in modern times. Here are some of the topics they discussed:

• "Jewish Women of Biblical and Mediaeval Times" by Louise Herschman Mannheimer from Cincinnati, Ohio.
• "Jewish Women of Modern Days" by Helen Kahn Weil from Kansas City, Missouri.
• "Influence of the Discovery of America on the Jews" by Pauline Hanauer Rosenberg from Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
• "Women as Wage-Workers, with Special Reference to Directing Immigrants" by Julia Richman from New York City.
• "Influence of the Jewish Religion in the Home" by Mary Matilda Cohen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• "Charity as Taught by the Mosaic Code" by Eva H. Stern from New York.
• "Woman's Place in Charitable Work; What It Is, and What It Should Be" by Carrie Shevelson Benjamin from Denver, Colorado.
• "How Can Nations be Influenced to Protest or Even Interfere in Cases of Persecution" by Laura Davis Jacobson from Saint Louis, Missouri.
• "Organization" by Sadie American from Chicago, Illinois.
• "The Outlook of Judaism" by Josephine Lazarus from New York.
• "What Judaism has Done for Woman" by Henrietta Szold from Baltimore, Maryland.

Images for kids

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  Hannah G. Solomon (on right)