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> Page 14 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 14, 1986 Moments in Georgia history A Jewish woman who made a difference This column is provided by Secretary of State Max Cleland. The Georgia Department of Ar chives and History assisted with the research. —Editor. “There are wayward girls... whose doom is certain unless reformatory restraint and train ing can be furnished. The cost of a girls reformatory school now would be nothing compared to the ultimate cost to society of all these human wrecks." This assessment was written in 1913, when female delinquency was one of the many social prob lems exacerbated by urbaniza tion and industrialization; when governments did little to rehabil itate the imprisoned, impoverish ed, disabled and insane. But the Georgia woman who authored these words would provide en lightened leadership to public'and private programs and earn the state an international reputation in social work. Rhoda Kaufman, born and raised in Columbus, graduated from Vanderbilt with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1909. then moved to Atlanta. Like many women of means or education, she under took volunteer work for human itarian causes. Kaufman, though, brought a special devotion to such efforts, prompted no doubt by her own physical handicap— one leg had been amputated when she was 12 years old. Her first position of responsi bility was chairing the Girls In dustrial School Committee for the Southern Association of Col lege Women. Through speeches, letters, pamphlets and press re leases, Miss Kaufman and her co-workers pressured the legisla ture to fund a reform school for girls, as it had earlier created one for boys. Preaching both compassion and economic sense. Miss Kauf man won endorsements from the Prison Commission of Georgia, the Prison Reform Association, the benevolent Men and Reli gion Forward Movement, and judges and women s clubs across the state. Members of the General As sembly were deluged with pas sionate correspondence. At the summer session of the legisla ture. the House Penitentiary Committee unanimously in sup port of the bill to create a girls reform school. Many lawmakers, though, felt the state’s finances could not bear the cost. Gov. John Slaton threatened to veto the bill if it appropriated more than $10,000. The public clamor proved ir resistible. The bill passed with funding of $20,000. After Slaton signed it into law, the Atlanta Constitution editorialized, “The Association of College Women, under the able leadership of Miss Rhoda Kaufman, took the initia tive and engineered the bill, through almost desperate condi tions, to a successful issue.” Miss Kaufman’s flair for pub licity and lobbying won another victory six years later, when Gov. H ugh Dorsey appointed her exe cutive secretary of his Commis sion for the Feebleminded. With backing from the U.S. Depart ment of Labor, and Dr. V.V. Anderson from the National Committee for Mental Hygiene as scientific consultant, Kaufman directed a study of Georgia’s population which concluded, “The state at the present time is offering (its 10,000 mentally im paired citizens) little protection.” On this issue, Miss Kaufman elicited support from the Geor gia Medical Association, the State Educational Association, the Manufacturers Association of Rhoda Kaufman earned a national reputation for her leadership in public welfare programs. Photo courtesy of Georgia Department of Archives and History. Georgia and Rotary Clubs. The legislature appropriated $ 100,000 for the Georgia Training School for Mental Defectives in August :mk: rx»c 3UC oiKz: —MM" MIC It’s a dream come true. 1919. She accepted a position as as sistant secretary of the State Department of Public Welfare in 1920 and became its executive secretary, 1923-29. With five staff members, she was responsible for inspections of 50 institutions for juveniles, 52 agencies for dependent adults, 62 almshouses (homes for the poor) and 156 jails. She also found time to con duct significant studies and de velop model programs. She ef fected new child placement and Continued next page. EYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYE King Springs Village Luxury Retirement Community 404 King Springs Village Pkwy. Smyrna, Georgia (404) 432-4444 I Choice of: Studio, One Bedroom or Two Bedroom Apartments. There’s no more dreaming about your retirement or need to search for a really ideal setting for active retired people to live-really live in. It’s here now at KING SPRINGS VILLAGE. Your single monthly check includes rent, utilities, maid and laundry service and meals in the elegant dining room. Full-time activities director, beautiful year-around indoor pool and sauna are available for your well-being. !• cheduled free transportation to local shopping. 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