U.S. Jewish Women Urged to Become More Active in Communal Work

A plea for Jewish women to educate themselves about their communities, its people, and its needs was made in an address by Samuel A, Goldsmith, executive vice-president of the Jewish Federation of Chicago at a leadership conference of Women’s Division from 11 states held at the Palmer House here. The conference was held under the sponsorship of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Mr. Goldsmith, the keynote speaker, appealed for a broad and profound knowledge of all aspects of communal work. He stated that Jewish life in the United States was not segmented but represented many varying facets. In his comments he noted that the responsibilities of Jewish federations and welfare funds included the building of a total rather than a disjointed approach to Jewish problems. He said leaders should possess a total rather than a fragmented approach and thus, with an intelligent understanding, would be more capable of meeting challenges.

He noted that economic standards have risen and that people expect more, and consequently, social planning will require larger sums of money. He also noted that community planning is affected further by a tremendously increasing and mobile population. The position of women likewise is changing, he said. Higher education is an accepted standard for women today. They are also a very real part of our business and professional world and enjoy the fruits of more leisure time. They have thus assumed new responsibilities and have a role to play in seeking solutions to society’s social problems, he asserted. The speaker described the need for more trained people in all fields of Jewish social work.