The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-06

brothers in aspiration and
achievement in the free Unit
ed States, where all have OPP
portunity? They have not
done so hitherto, but the next Is years
will tell a different story. The oriental
idea of domestic seclusion of women
tinged the Jews blood sufficiently to
require several generations of the light
of western liberty to bleach it out of
him. Jewish women, although no less
gifted Intellectually than their men,
staid at home, reared large families Of
children, looked after the poor, lived
handsomely. wore pretty clothes and
thought they fulfilled the whole duty of
woman.
There are consequently comparatively
few women of the race at present
known to fame in professional life in
this country. They have achieved sue
cess in the musical and theatrical
world, for the splendid musical and
dramatic gifts of the Jew could not be
smothered out even in a woman. Miss
Sadie American, a leading organizer
and the corresponding secretary Of the
noble Jewish Council of Women. tells
me that among the present girl stu
dents OF her people, young women 16 to
20 years of age, are hundreds, not to
say thousands, of doctors, lawyers, sci
entists, college professors and artists
in the bud, for the new woman wave
has at last struck the American Jew
ess and struck her powerfully.
The Jewish Council of Women itself
is a noteworthy organization. remark
able as being. outside OF charity and
benevolent societies, the first effort to-
ward united work on the part of the
women of the Hebrew race. The coun-
ell is, like so many other societies in
America, an outgrowth of the parlia-
ment of religions at the Worlds fair
in 1898. Following that parliament,
some Jewish ladies who contemplated
their faith, their race and their history
and were not ashamed called meeting
to organize a permanent union of wo-
men similarly minded. Their object
was not that woman's club idea which
has so run to seed in the United States.
but work, solid work-namely, the
study of Jewish religion and history.
with philanthropic endeavor for uni
versal social betterment A history OF
the Jewish religion is the story of the
religions of the world, for it is the foun-
dalton of all those adhered to today
among civilized peoples. The majestic
old chant which has been ringing in
the synagogue since the dawn of hfsto-
ry-''Hear o Israeli The Lord Our
God, the Lord is One''-is echoed today
from Christian churches in all the lands
and tongues of civilization.
Jewish religion is from the beginning
inextricably interviewer with Jewish
history and with the wars and idola-
tries of all the ancient world. So it
was no light task the members of the
council set themselves. Among topics
for study I find such as these: What
Was and Is the Messianic Idea Among
the JeWs2' Persian and Egyptian In
f1uence on Jewish Religious Develop
ment," Was the Victory of the Mac
cabees, Which Repealed Greek Civili-
cation, a Gain or Loss to the Jews?''
THE Practical Side of Return to Pal
estine." In the lists of papers read be-
fore Christian women's clubs recently
have found none so interesting as these,
none requiring so much serious, schol-
arly research
The president of the Jewish Council
of Women has been from the start Mrs
Hannah G.. Solomon of Chicago, an able
and enthusiastic servant of the organi-
cation. The same may be said of Miss
Gertrude Berg, recording secretary, and
Miss Sadie American, corresponding
secretary. Miss American was a dele
gate from the society to the fnterna-
tionaI council of women in London last
year. There she spoke so eloquentIy
and knowingly that the Jewish women
of England were impelled to start an
organization of their own after the
model of the American society. Be-
sides her council work, Miss American.
like so many other ladies of her race
devotes herself to philanthropic labor
alike for Jew and gentle Much of the
success of the famous model permanent
vacation school and playground scheme
of Chicago is due to her never failing
enthusiasm and effort In its behalf