Education

Birth of conservative intellectual Gertrude Himmelfarb

August 8, 1922

Gertrude Himmelfarb, who was born on August 8, 1922, has made her career as an intellectual historian, but she has perhaps made her larger ma

Pioneering women's history summer institute

July 18, 1979

In the summer of 1979, a fifteen-day conference (July 13-29), co-sponsored by Sarah Lawrence, the Women's Action Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution, was held at Sarah Lawrence College.

Anne Lapidus Lerner named Vice Chancellor of JTS

July 1, 1993

After earning bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Harvard, Anne Lapidus Lerner joined the faculty of the Jewish Theological Semin

Spotlight on work of AIDS activist Mathilde Krim

June 24, 1983

Biologist Mathilde Krim recognized soon after the first cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported in 1981 that this new dise

"Something Rotten in America"

June 27, 1931

Labor economist Theresa Wolfson was the principal speaker at the opening of the Barnard College Summer School for Women Workers in Industry.

The Women’s Mizrachi Federation in America, Detroit Meeting, circa 1960s

Mizrachi Women Meet Independently for First Time

June 19, 1939

The Mizrachi Women's Organization opened its first independent meeting on June 19, 1939, in Atlantic City.

Steve Benson on Judith Malina and the Living Theatre Thumbnail

European debut of Judith Malina's Living Theatre

June 15, 1961

In performances that were hailed as "good quality directed with great intelligence," "admirable for subtle expressiveness and intelligent composure," and "exceptional," the off-Broadway Living Thea

Birth of Trude Weiss-Rosmarin, editor and commentator on American Jewish life

June 17, 1908

Born in Germany on June 17, 1908, Trude Weiss-Rosmarin became a major commentator on the nature of American Jewish life.

Thumbnail of Rachel King on the Publication of Carol Gilligan's In a Different Voice, 2015

Carol Gilligan publishes "In a Different Voice"

May 24, 1982

Carol Gilligan has built a career out of challenging the mainstream.

Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls opens

May 22, 1899

Funded by a bequest from the British Baroness Clara de Hirsch, the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls opened its doors

Publication of Gladys Rosen's Jewish bicentennial guidebook

May 2, 1975

Born and raised in New York City and educated at Columbia University, Gladys Rosen became the program specialist at the American Jewish Committee (AJ

National Council of Jewish Women's Original Badge

Jewish women's advocate Esther Ruskay is featured speaker at NCJW New York launch

May 9, 1894

An advocate for both women and traditional Jewish practice, Esther Ruskay spoke on "The Revival of Judaism" at the founding meeting of the New York section of the National Council of Jewish Women.

Fanny Goldstein, librarian and founder of Jewish Book Week, is born

May 15, 1895

Goldstein was the first female Judaica librarian and the first woman to direct a branch library in Massachusetts.

Public health pioneer Margaret Arnstein appointed dean of Yale School of Nursing

March 13, 1967

Born in New York City in 1904, Margaret Arnstein grew up in a family deeply involved in social health and welfare projects.

Senda Berenson officiates at first collegiate women's basketball game

March 22, 1893

Senda Berenson, the "Mother of Women's Basketball," officiated at the first women's basketball game on March 22, 1893, at Smith College, in Northa

"Eating Disorders: Obesity, Anorexia Nervosa and the Person Within" Front Cover by Hilde Bruch, 1973

Hilde Bruch publishes "The Importance of Overweight"

March 4, 1957

When The Importance of Overweight was published on March 4, 1957, Hilde Bruch was already a leading childhood obesity researcher.

Naomi Bronheim Levine appointed director of American Jewish Congress

March 1, 1972

On March 1, 1972, Naomi Bronheim Levine was appointed Executive Director of the American Jewish Congress (AJCong), becoming the first woman to take the helm of a major American Jewish organization

Early music harpsichordist Wanda Landowska plays Bach at New York City's Town Hall

February 21, 1942

Born in Warsaw in 1879, Wanda Landowska studied piano at the Warsaw Conservatory, from which she graduated at age 14. In 1900, she moved to Paris, where she taught piano and performed.

Publication of Bel Kaufman's "Up the Down Staircase"

January 27, 1965

When Bel Kaufman published Up the Down Staircase on January 27, 1965, she was already a published writer, whose short stories had appeared i

Sandra Feldman elected UFT President

January 8, 1986

When Sandra Feldman declared that "Just because kids are poor, and maybe come from uneducated parents, and live in an urban setting, doesn't mean

April 23, 2009

Writing a blog post about a feminist theorist as sharp and influential as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick is an intimidating prospect, which is why it's taken me more than a week to get to this post in memory of Sedgwick, who died on April 12.

Topics: LGBTQIA Rights, Jewish Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies

Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler

“She plays like a man” was a near-refrain in critiques of Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, a brilliant pianist who emerged in the young, male-dominated American concert world of the 1880s. Zeisler exploded notions about women pianists with the precision, power, and expressiveness of her performances.

Rosalyn Yalow

Rosalyn Yalow made a breakthrough contribution to medical research with the discovery of radioimmunoassay, which contributed to major advances in diabetes research and other medical conditions. She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1977. At a time when it was rare for a woman to have a career in science, she defied gender barriers and pursued both a career and a family.

Jewish Training School Sewing Class, Chicago, 1892

Vocational Training Schools in the United States

In the years prior to World War I, few institutions enchanted the members of American Jewry’s philanthropic community as much as the vocational training school. Combining education with charity and moral uplift with sociology, these school generally focused on teaching domestic skills. Despite their popularity, they were criticized for their lack of religious education and strictly gendered structure.

Lillian D. Wald

Guided by her vision of a unified humanity, Lillian D. Wald passionately dedicated herself to bettering the lives and working conditions of immigrants, women, and children. She founded the Henry Street Settlement in New York City and initiated America’s first public-school nursing program. A talented activist and administrator, Wald’s pathbreaking work continues to be memorialized.