Edith Mendel Stern
Edith Stern was a prolific writer and later became an activist, contributing scholarship and guides for laypeople on issues of mental illness, aging, and differently abled children. Stern authored four novels before becoming interested in mental health later in life; her writing as a result turned to a more technical approach. Her most famous book on the subject was Mental Illness: A Guide for the Family, published in 1942.
Article
A prolific writer as well as an activist in the mental health field, Edith Stern authored four novels and many guides for laypeople on the subjects of mental illness, aging, and handicapped children. She also wrote numerous articles for popular magazines, including Collier’s, Reader’s Digest, the Saturday Evening Post, Literary Digest, and Redbook.
Born Edith Mendel in New York on June 24, 1901, she received a B.A. from Barnard College in 1922. She joined the staff of the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house, then, after a few years with the editorial departments of other houses, published the first of a series of novels, Purse Strings (1927). This was followed by Scarlet Heels (1928), Men Are Clumsy Lovers (1934) and Escape from Youth (1935).
Edith Mendel married William A. Stern II, who was a lawyer with the Justice Department. Her interest in later life turned to technical books on the subject of mental health, the best known being Mental Illness: A Guide for the Family, which was published in 1942. Immensely popular, the book was revised five times before her death. Her other how-to books include The Attendant’s Guide (1943); The Housemother’s Guide and The Mental Hospital: A Guide for the Citizen (1947); The Handicapped Child: A Guide for Parents (1950); You and Your Aging Parentswith Mabel Ross (1952, revised in 1965); Notes for After 50 (1955); and A Full Life After 65 (1963).
Edith Stern was a member of the Maryland Board of Mental Hygiene and a consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as a director of the Epilepsy League. After her husband’s death, she remained in the Washington area, where she died on February 8, 1975, at age seventy-four.
Obituary. NYTimes, February 14, 1975, 35:3.
UJE.
WWIAJ (1938).
WWWIA 6.
More Like This
Double your impact to amplify Jewish women’s stories—
All gifts matched up to $35,000
Before you close this article, please consider supporting the Jewish Women’s Archive and uplifting Jewish women’s voices.
At JWA, we preserve the voices of Jewish women and gender-expansive people past and present, share them freely with millions online, and empower a new generation of Jewish feminists to lead with courage, creativity, and conviction.
But none of this happens without you. JWA is an independent nonprofit— we rely on people, like you, who believe that history belongs to all of us and that the voices of Jewish women must remain powerful, and heard.
This month, a generous JWA board member will match every gift dollar for dollar—up to $35,000—through June 30. Your contribution goes twice as far right now.
Every contribution—no matter the size—helps us document, teach, and inspire through Jewish women’s stories.
It takes less than a minute to make a difference.
Thank you for being a part of the JWA community,
Judith Rosenbaum, CEO
