The Denver Jewish news., 1923-01-03
THE COUNCIL OF
JEWISH WOMEN
JEWISH REVIVAL IN HOLLAND
Contributor to 1.-The Jewish Woman"
Describes Dutch Jewess.

New York City-In the December is
sue of The Jewish Woman" the Of
fetal publication of the Council! of
Jewish Women. there appears very
Interesting article on The Jewish
Women of Holland by Caroline VIII
senbeck- -F'ranken, vicepresldent OF the
Council of Jewish Women, Amsterdam.
Holland. 1t presents very thorough
survey of condition that have con-
fronted the Dutch Jewess and the
many forces that have lead her to take
more important place in the Jewish
community. 1t is to the Council of
Jewish Women that the greater share
Of credit is given for this new COM
munal awakening. Mrs. Franken writes
as follows:
The Dutch Jewess was until some.
twenty years ngo, the centre of hc-
household. the devoted mother OF her
children. She did not seek place in
public life and her occupations were
those that. OF old had been typically
famininc ones. Her morality was pro-
verbal. as well as her devotion to her
family. Since the hast two years. IL
change has set in. With the opening
up of the University to girl-students.
the Jewish gi-l took her place-and
comparatively significant place too
among the women de-sirious of wider
knowledge or OF professional life. At
about the same time they took up Office
work alongside the men. But II far
more disintegrating influence upon Jew
ish women was the desire for luxury
"As everywhere else, the upper ton
first gained entire into non-Jewish cir
cies, outdid the Dutch population in 10y
atty to the country and its traditions.
and begun to marry outside their own
community. Gradually. this assimiia-
tiOn spread and affected the upper
middle classes as well. But for all that.
1t cannot be said that the majority OF
Jewish women had given up jewish
culture for other spiritual goods or even
that they had given mp their own char
acter and personality to snch an extent
that they felt themselves In no sense
different from the Dutch. The more
they felt old values lost and new ones
Inaccessible. the more they tried to find
satisfaction in seeking after pleasure.
Together with this development. we
see a growing absence Of the feeling of
responsibility towards the Jewish COM
munity. The woman movement did
not leave the Jewish woman unaffect-
ed; it only made the more advanced
put themselves fully at the disposal
of non-Jcwish social work or in the
foremost ranks of the suffragists. And
Jewish social work was. until quite
recently only done by very limited
number OF women. chiefly orthod"S.
with great devotion but with ar insult
ficient knowledge of modern methods.
Upon the initiative and incentive Of
a few leading American Jewesses from
the Council OF Jewish Women n move
ment has been set about to rouse the
activity of the Dutch Jewcsses on he
half of Jewish social work. and to in
crease their feeling of solidarity. And
now that we have been aroused aud
set to work, We can hardly believe that
we had remained idle so long, viewing
the decline of Dutch Judaism. under
standing its causes and not tryin. 10
take our modest share in saving II.
There now exists in Holland only nnr
Council in Amsterdam. counting almost
400 members after the work of one
year. and another group of women in
Rotterdam who occupy themselves OK
clusivcly with helping transmigrants.
The Council of Jewish Women in
Holland shall contribute its share In
bringing thc Dutch Jcwess back to
Judaism"