Jewish Women Criticised at Meeting of Women’s Organizations

Three hundred women attended the opening of the sixth annual convention of the Federation of Jewish Women’s Organizations at the Hotel Astor, New York, on Wednesday.

The convention, after considerable debate, adopted a resolution opposed to supporting public benefits on Saturdays.

Bills pending in Congress and the Legislature of especial interest to women were read to the delegates. Among these was the Antin bill calling for the licensing of charitable organizations in an effort to stamp out fake money-raising campaigns.

Mrs. Henry W. Peabody of Washington, chairman of the Woman’s National Committee for Law Enforcement, a guest of the convention, spoke of the growth of law violations in the country, and asked for delegates to the “allegiance luncheon” to be held in Washington on April 13.

Mrs. Leroy S. Blatner, Field Secretary, New York State Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, launched a spirited attack on the modern Jewish mother who prepared her daughter for a wedding and not for marriage, and failed in proper religious training in the home.

Home training was being neglected, Mrs. Blatner said, and Jewish brides started building their own homes with little or no qualification or skill.

She also emphasized the failure of wives in seeing to it that their men folk were actively interested in religious observances and attendance at synagogues and temples, thereby setting a poor example for Jewish children. She lamented the fact that young men and young women were not to be found in the temples but rather in places of amusement and extravagance.

Religion was for men as well as for women, she continued, and “our tired business men surely need religion.” It was an unhappy deduction, she said, that because women were supposed to have more leisure religion was for them.

About 100,000 women were represented at the convention by the present enrollment of 108 united organizations. Mrs. Max L. Levenson, President of the Federation, welcomed the delegates of nineteen new organizations which had joined since the 1925 convention.

A recommendation that the delegates make a careful study of Governor Smith’s housing bill was made by Mrs. Isaac Kubie, Chairman of the Publicity Committee.

Dr. David de Sola Pool offered the opening prayer. At a luncheon, held in the Grand Ballroom, messages of endorsement of the work of the federation from Mayor Walker and Sol M. Stroock, President of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropic Societies, were read by Mrs. Kubie.

Rabbi Israel Goldstein addressed the afternoon session.

Dr. Maximilian Nemser of the Health Department read an address by Health Commissioner Louis I. Harris, who commended the aims of the federation and paid a tribute to the earnest regard of Jewish women for the welfare of their own, especially with regard to the bringing up of their children.