History of the Young Women's Union of Philadelphia 1885-1910.
[Education]. The History of the Young Women’s Union of Philadelphia. 1885-1910. (Philadelphia: Young Women’s Union, 1910.)
8vo.; decorative endpapers faded; twenty-two black and white photographs printed on coated paper, two of which are tipped-in; green cloth, stamped in silver.
First edition of this volume commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Young Women’s Union in Philadelphia, compiled by a seven-member editorial committee: Mrs. Morris Jastrow, Miss Leah Abeles, Miss Gertrude Berg, Miss A.A. Eshner, Miss Rosena Fels, Mrs. Sol Selig and Miss Alice E. Jastrow. The photographs include an exterior shot of the YWU, and one of children playing on the playground; classroom shots of the kindergarten class, a girls’ sewing class, a boys’ art class and a girls’ physical education class; and several photographs of girls at La Grange, described as a “vacation home for Jewish working girls,” located in the country on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
This book provides evidence of the success of the Young Women’s Union, originally a branch of the Hebrew Education Society; how it grew from a small association with a few dedicated volunteers and a budget of $30 into a thriving institution housing a kindergarten, a “household” school (an early precursor to home economics classes of the 1950s), a small library, and classes in English, reading and arithmetic.
The Young Women’s Union was started in February 1885 by Fanny Binswanger, who, in response to the influx of Russian Jewish immigrants pouring into Philadelphia, realized that the children in these families needed a place to help them transition. She thought the best way to start was for the children to receive instruction in English. “It was felt that to make of the children good American citizens, to imbue them with the best American ideals, would be work that would ultimately give the best results…” By March 1 of that year, a kindergarten had opened with 15 children in attendance; from that point on the YWU flourished with children and young women enrolling in the classes, and dedicated instructors providing both academic and personal attention to the students. “The children…were given lunch, their homes were visited regularly, clothing was distributed when it was found necessary, and every effort was made to come into touch with their home life.”
By 1899, after several relocations, the Union had grown so much as to necessitate the move to 422-428 Bainbridge Street, its final home. A 25th anniversary gala was held there to commemorate its good works in the Philadelphia Jewish community over the years. As the editors declare, “[the Union has] become the centre about which the Jewish sociological work of the entire region evolves.”
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