The Denver Jewish news., 1919-08-06
THE JEWISH GIRL AT COLLEGE
Some Interesting Data Regarding the
Higher Education Of Our Girls by
Ruth Sapinsky.

In recent issue of the Menorah
Miss Sapinslsy gives an exhaustive
study Of the Jewish girl ut college
and boarding. school. She says in
part:
Is the Jewish girl. daughter of a
iace that takes to books as naturally
as the Dutch take to bulbs, or Ger
mans to music, or Renaissance Italians
took TO paint pots, conspicuous for
| her presence at Americas universi-
ties? And if she is not amending col
4 lrge, why is she not? Does the trou-
4 Bile lie with the college? Or with the
professional world which the graduate
enters upon receiving her degree? Or
J does the blame lie nearer hOme-with
| the Jewish parent, perhaps, who rea-
Lies the need for giving his son an
| cduca tion, but maintains towards his
daughters Intellectual ycarnings the
! laissez- -faire attitude typical of all
4 parents few generations ago?
! In order that these diverse questions
might be answered as accurately as
| possible. a questiOnaire was sent out
1 ut the close of the academic year iast
June by the Intercollegiate McnOrah
/ Association to wOmen's colleges thru
cut the country, personal letters were
! written to and personal talks had with
Jewish college women, graduate and
! undergraduates, and the following
lird's-eye view of the whole matter
is the result:
Men go to college in about twice
| the number of women. The inhabi-
iants of the United States exclusive
of the Jews) send their sons to the
universities at the rate of ID boys
Tor every 1000 persons and their
daughters ut the rate of approximate
~ IL girls for every 1,UOO persons.
The Jews. however, make II much bet
ter showing. Altho there are little
over 2.5OO.OOO Jews in the United
! States out of a total of 1OO.OOO,OO
inhabitants, the attendance Of Jewish
| young men ut the institutions of hight
cr learning runs up to 1900, or 3.6
boys for every 1000 Jews.
Ones pride ut this laudable figure
receives decided jolt when the Jew
ish girl is considered. The figures Oh
tanned last summer revealed the fact
that over this broad land there are lit
4 tie more than 1000 Jewesses prOlong-
\ ing their education beyond the narrow
reaches Of high school. In other
words. the Jewish girl is going to col
lege in only one-ninth the number Of
i.er brothers and in less than one
half the number Of her Gentle sisters.
| To put the matter briefly, 1t takes l.
100 Jews to send to college a of
daughter.
1t must be admitted In all fairness
to the Jewish girl that when the fig
uies of her attendance ut representa-
tive Eastern colleges are studied. she
dees not make slender showing. AT
Barnard. Ratcliffe, Smith, Wellesley,
Vassar and Bryn Mawr there were
Inst year enrolled 1886 Jewesses, ) pr
cent of the entire student body. At
six colleges and universities for men
near these institutiOns-Columb
Harvard. Yale, Dartmouth. Princeton.
and the University Of Pennsylvania.
there were enrolled 2,179 Jewish men,
per cent. of the entire student body.
The discrepancy then at these Eastern
colleges between the number of Jew
ish girls and Jewish men or between
csses is not large enough to cause any
concern.
Answers to tile questiOnaire sent to
fhe women's colleges show that the
Jewish student is participating in all
branches OF college activities with the
same variety of interest as her Gen
tile sisters. Perhaps she goes in" for
lramatics and journalism to II greater
extent than for other pursuits, but her
name is found on debating teams or
basketball. hockey and rowing squads.
linnce Franchise. in the socialist club
and on suffrage and settlement and
college relief committees, Public of
tices come her way in very fair pro-
portion considering the paucity of her
numbers. At Lake Erie College near
Cleveland, o., Jewess was the first
nraSidaDf Of tho Student Government
Association. at Wellesley during the
past year u Jewess was the House
PRESIDENT 1.-THE student government
head) of one of the dormitOries, at
Barnard the Jewish girls receive
yOotlly share of class and association