The age-herald., 1898-04-22
The Jewish Women's Council
 And It's Laudable Work

NHS sSWIou UuHtCD OUuutD
 And Its LaudabIe Work
 In discussing the strides forward being made by the women of the present day not sufficient stress is given to the. amount and character of work that is being accom- plished by the Jewish women of America along broad and helpful lines of endeavor. rrhrouehout the country organizations or Jewish women generally termed "Women's Councils" are actively at work doing much to cultivate the minds and hearts Of the members. They are in touch with the best interests of club women of every faith anu cultivated broad-minded Hebrew women are directing the destinies of these orBani- cations. Dr. Cohen, of Mobile, delivered few days ago an address of great force and eloquence before the Jewish women ; council of New Orleans, taking as his theme ''The Dignity and Beauty of True Womanhood in the Home and the outer World" The following extracts from ms lecture will be of interest to women or all denominations:
 He said that the history of Jewish Wo- men as factors in the great work of the worlds history began with the finding of Moses in the bullrushes, by Pharoahs daughter, and woman of his own race was called to nurse him. From type to type he proceeded in illustration, and salo that there was no question Of the lmpor- tant place assigned to woman the position which she is so lawfully entitled in his- tory From record to record we trace her deeds of love- of truth, of devotion and patriotism, and none can deny women the position which she so lawfully held ana won. Moreover, he said the frequent ex- pression here of the commands and duties laid upon her show how much stress IS laid by God upon womans work. In reading firSf oh of Genesis in DartlCuldr, we find woman the climax of creation, and that she is placed there because God saw fit to create her and not man last because she had a distinct part to assume, she had to fill a void and that without her creation itself would have been incom- plete.
 Such was the nobility of the work that woman was designed in Gods immutable laws and all wise designs. But. said the rabbi, nobility of duty implies responsioiii- ty, and woman is called upon to exercise all those great and sublime qualities to which such wholesome mention is given ln the Bible.
 And the first of these duties is unde- niably that of woman as wife ana mother. Science and religion alike point out this as woman's first duty, and only in its full achievement does she fulfill her position. True the stigma that formerly rested on the unmarried woman has been removed in our time, and we see her enter ing upon various duties to which she IS undoubtedly called in the great design Of Providence; but all physical, mental and moral philosophy point to wifehood and motherhood as the crown of womanhood; of course, in this fulfillment of her duty she needs the cooperation of man; and as woman does not find the fulfllment of her highest duty except as wife and mother, neither does man fulfill his position till he has become husband and father.
 n Iol1a coid hal he xua f sentimentality In religious methods, but he did not hesitate to say that upon religion rested all that Is good and true in the world. Women have finer sensibilities than men, and, therefore, the woman who Is devoid of religion Is an absolute monstros- ity. Upon the spirit fo religion that she in- culcates in her children rests the responsi- bility of their future lives as earnest and ardent workers.
 Religion, he said, means not forms and ceremonies; it means morality and truth taught by father and mother to the home. It is too common a thing to see the boys left to the fathers care and the girls to the mother. There should be no division, for the boys, of all others, need the mothers care, and If men are not what they ought to be 1t is because women do not demand them to be what they should. We cannot expect high type of manhood where we have not a high type of womanhood, and
 
 appreciation of true womanhood and into their daughters the idol of true manhood.
 Dr. Cohen said that he could conclude without telling women that they have share in the outer world, a place beyond the home He was not ofthat narrow school which denied women everything but the home and It's four walls. God had gifted women with faculties of the highest order, and he felt that the new idea that had gained that woman was not only factor in the home, but also in the outer world, was in keeping with the powers with which heaven had endowed her. She was pow erful worker in many lines, and no faculty should remain untraned, no gift unused that she might promote the welfare of the world at large. The idea has prevailed that the Hebrew men relegate the women entire- ly to the home, but circumstances of the years gone by gave rise to this thought There were times in the worlds history when 1t was often almost impossible for Jewish men to venture without the home, much less the women: but those times were now gone and, thank God, the He- brew lives to see better days. The Jewish woman is now free to take her place as leader but she must never forget that this leadership must not be at the sacrifice of the duties of the home. In conclusion, he quoted as a perpetual lesson that summary of the characteristics of true womanhood found in the book of Proverbs: "Who can find a true and noble woman, for her value Is beyond pearls and precious stones. and oil that can he esteemed of value"