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Page 8 The Southern Israelite Jewish JUmen Urge National Cooperation By ESTELLE M. STERNBERGER Jewish womanhood in America has expressed its ideals through the es tablishment of several national organi zations. The first of these, the National Council of Jewish Women, was formed in 1893. In 1912, the Hadassah, the women’s Zionist organization, was es tablished, and a few months later, in January, 1913, the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods. In order to meet the needs of the conservative synagogues, the Women’s League of the United Synagogues of America, was founded in 1918, and in 1920, the Women’s branch of the Union of Or thodox Jewish Congregations was formed. With the establishment of these sev eral national organizations, many real ize that though each served a specific and distinct purpose, there was need for establishing some form of relation ship between them that would enable them to function to the benefit and welfare of the American Jewish com munity, through the avoidance of con flicts, misunderstandings and needless duplication. In some cities, the move ment towards such co-operation arose without external stimulation and in re- sponce to mutual advantages that had already been foreseen. By May, 1922, six local associations, or conferences of Jewish women’s organizations, had been launched in the cities of Chicago, Bos ton, Baltimore, Cleveland, Nashville, and Atlanta. As part of its program to further a broad community understanding among the various Jewish groups, the National Council of Jewish Women stimulated the organization of local associations of Jewish Women’s Organizations, with the result that within the first year of this activity, twenty local associations of Jewish women’s organizations were organized, through the Committee on Civic and Communal Affairs. By May, 1929, their number had increased to fifty-six. The chief benefits that have proceed ed from this program of co-operation are the following: In the cities where the conferences or associations have been established, one no longer finds two or more local Jewish women’s or ganizations meeting on the same day, and at the same hour, disregarding the fact that many women belong to several local women’s organizations. The in centive is provided for enabling each organization to obtain a more depend able and clearer understanding of the aims and purposes of the other organi zations in the world of Jewish woman hood. Antagonisms have been avoided through this sympathetic understand ing. In some communities, the several local organizations have taken counsel together on the most favorable dates for scheduling their respective affairs for money-raising purposes, and sO se cured a maximum of support on the part of the community. Educational programs, including cultural courses, Council lectures and public demonstra tions in the interest of world peace, have been jointly sponsored. Consid eration has also been given to the re spective programs, so as to avoid dupli cation of activity, with its unnecessary financial waste. At the call of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, following its convention in New York city in 1923, the representatives of three national organizations, namely, the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, the National Council of Jewish Women, and the Women’s League of the United Synagogue of America, met in St. Louis in 1925, and formed the Conference Committee of National Jewish Women's Organizations, to secure for the na tional organizations the same advant- ESTELLE M. STERNBERGER ages that had been achieved hy the local associations. Immediately there after, the Hadassah and the Women’s Branch of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations joined the Con ference Committee, which now repre sents almost 2tX),(XXl Jewish women. One of the first acts of this Confer ence Committee was to give its en dorsement to the movement developing among local organizations, by its de cision to urge the formation of such local federations or associations of Jew ish women’s organizations in every community, and to make available lit erature for guiding local communities in their efforts towards this end. It announced its readiness to co-operate with the United States Government in any hour or occasion of national crisis or distress by immediately rallying the entire force of Jewish womanhood. In some communities, it was observed, there was a tendency to ignore the fact that the membership of Jewish women of varying religious outlooks in any particular organization, made it not only desirable, but necessary, that their religious point of view be considered and respected. It was particularly in connection with luncheons and dinners that unpleasant incidents occurred. This Conference Committee of National Jewish Women’s Organizations, through its authorized representatives, resolved to urge upon every Jewish women’s or ganization in the land to observe the dietary laws at all dinners and public functions, held under Jewish auspices, and which appealed to Jewish men and women of various groups. This resolu tion was animated by an earnest desire to further co-operation in the Jewish community and to avoid the develop ment of any practices that tended to divide its members. In keeping with this spirit, the Conference Committee addressed an appeal to the several Jewish women’s organizations, through the respective member national organi zations, to further the observance of the Jewish Sabbath in all public insti tutions maintained by the Jewish com munity. 1 he Jewish community frequently voiced its outraged feelings and objec tions to the missionary efforts of Christianity, but overlooked the fact that, in some instances, one group of the Jewish community would conduct religious activities for the benefit of another religious group, and lose sight of the principles that should animate such activities. The Conference Com mittee agreed that any religious work sponsored by its member national or ganizations and their constituent local organizations, shall always be in ac cordance with the point of view of the particular group for whom such religi ous program is sponsored. A decision of this character elevated inter-com munal activity to the highest degree of altruism and disinterestedness. Since Judaism is acknowledged as the fountain-head of these several or ganizations, the Conference Committee provided for the calling of a Cultural Activities Conference, for the consid eration of the Jewish educational pro grams of these several bodies. Complete information on these programs was submitted in advance of the Cultural Activities Conference and copies made available to the representatives of the several organizations when they as sembled last May in New York City. Out of this conference have proceeded several definite suggestions and agree ments, on the basis of which a further conference is to be held during the month of January, 1931. It is anticipated that papers on various Jewish subjects of common interest, will be made avail able and distributed to all Jewish women’s organizations, through the auspices of the Conference Comm Such activity will be the means <>: pressively conveying to the J. women of America that, though th< organized into several national ami units, there are fundamental int in Judaism, Jewish life and h: past and present, that they treasu common. Among other questions, on which Conference Committee has acted, those of calling attention to the h- .hi, needs of European Jewry and the > vice rendered in this direction bv the O. Z. E. and the T. O. Z.; the appeal to its member organizations to it erate with the League for Safeguarding the Fixity of the Sabbath Against Fu sible Enroachment Through Calendar Reform; the discussion of the marriage and divorce problems in modern Jewish life; the need for the better observance of the Jewish Sabbath in the honu-s oi every Jewish family in America, and the inclusion of a discussion of Pales tine in the year’s program of each organization. At the present moment, a study being made of the existing local Fed erations or Associations of Jewisl Women’s Organizations, in order to ascertain the activities in which they arc engaged, the benefits they have received from the program of co-opera tion that underlies their establishment, and the problems in inter-organization co-operation that are still to be solved. The next meeting of the Conferem Committee of the National Jewish Women’s Organizations will be held in connection with the annual meeting o the Women’s Branch of the I'nio of Orthodox Jewish Congregations America. At this writing, each natioi organization will present an exhibit of its program and activities, so a convey a graphic account of their nature and scope. Great advances have been made dur ing these six years in directing the work of American Jewish womanh in the spirit of understanding, of co operation and of an overwhelming acknowledment of their common allegi ance to Judaism. The Conference Com mittee is the conscience of American Jewish womanhood that summons all Jewish women to minister at the com mon altar of the Jew’ish community for any selfish aggrandizement, bt;' the enlargement of the Jewish ml, for the wealth of every member - Jewish community, and for the hancement of modern Jewry’s si ■• ce - to humankind.