“The vicious cycle which was originally created by the overt exclusion of women from mathematics and science must be broken… [I]t is of the utmost importance to give a girl at a very early age the conviction that girls are capable of becoming scientists.” Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber (1911-1998) was a German Jewish nuclear physicist who made several significant discoveries in physics, particularly in the…
By Andrey Filimonov, Archival Services Manager at the Center for Jewish History “Zions Captives”: documentary on Ida Nudel (watch online: http://digital.cjh.org/4585693) Original archival material found Houston Action for Soviet Jewry Records I-500; box 35; VHS tape 022; American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY; PID http://digital.cjh.org/798129 Screenshot from “Zions Captives, documentary on Ida Nudel” Original archival material found Houston Action for Soviet Jewry Records…
“The First Jewish Feminist:” Ernestine Rose By Jackie Brettschneider, Research Intern, Center for Jewish History Ernestine Rose is popularly known as the first Jewish feminist. It didn’t take her long to realize that women weren’t treated the same way as men. Her views were extremely progressive even from a young age, and she stated that, “I was a rebel at the age of five.”….
The First Female Ordained Rabbi: Regina Jonas By Jackie Brettschneider, Research Intern, Center for Jewish History As early as high school, Regina Jonas talked about becoming a rabbi. At the time not one woman was ordained to the position. Jonas’s pursuit came with many hardships and obstacles because she was a woman. Jonas, however, pursued ordination whole-heartedly because of her dedication to Jewish history,…
Have you ever been surprised that Wikipedia doesn’t cover a particular Jewish woman of note? Maybe you’ve been tempted to improve existing Wikipedia articles about Jewish women, or you’re curious about Wikipedia in general. Perhaps you’d like to check out some of the resources the Center’s partners hold on Jewish women. The Center for Jewish History invites you to join us, either on-site in New…
Women in HistoryNobel Prize Winnersby David P. Rosenberg, M.P.A., Reference Services Research Coordinator, Center for Jewish History I recently researched women with Jewish roots who have won the Nobel Prize. Seven people hold the distinction in a range of topics from medicine to chemistry to literature: Gerty Cori was the third woman, and the first American woman, to win the prize when she won for…
