Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/690

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The Jewish Women of America
649


again called to serve in the work in Pittsburgh, where she remained a year. Later an opportunity offered to study vacation and amusement resources of working girls in New York City by the committee who had organized themselves for that purpose. In 1908 Miss Schoenfeld left for New York and as a result of her work there is in New York to-day the best legislation that has ever been enacted in regard to licensing and regulating dancing academies, public amusement parks, etc. In 1911 Miss Schoenfeld received her degree of M.A., from Columbia University. She has spent much time in the study of the immigrant question and its relation to the protection of girls in this country, and as secretary of the committee on immigrant aid of the Council of Jewish Women she has developed the protective bureau for girls. She has visited many cities, studying the work done in each along the lines of philanthropic and social endeavor; attended many conferences in this country and abroad. While in London in 1907, she made a close study of the Toynbee Hall and University Settlement. She has been an active worker on the state committee and state confederation of Women's Clubs, also in the Consumers' League and with other state and national organizations for the improvement of working conditions among women and children. She has written many articles for the press and addressed many of the prominent clubs of the country relative to the work in which she has been such a valuable worker and adviser. She is considered to-day one of the prominent women in the philanthropic work of our country and a valued representative of the able women of her race.

ANNIE NATHAN MEYER.

Simon Wolf gives in his "Jew as an American Citizen, Soldier and Patriot," the names of nearly eight thousand Jews in the Civil War. There has been made, unfortunately, no such muster of the Jewish women who have shown such public spirit for the good of American citizenship. But near the head of such a roll call would appear the name of Mrs. Annie Nathan Meyer, author and worker for the advancement of women. She was born in New York City in 1867, the daughter of Robert Weeks Nathan. She belongs to a prominent Jewish family and is a cousin of the late Emma Lazarus. She was educated at home in her childhood and afterward entered the School for Women, a branch at that time of Columbia College. She was one of the first to enter the women's course when it was opened in Columbia College in 1885, and eventually she became one of the founders of Barnard College, affiliated with Columbia College, and the first women's college in New York City. After this institution had received full sanction and recommendation at the hands of the faculty of the brother college she became one of the trustees and at the same time edited "Women's Work in America," a volume containing the result of three years earnest work and research. She married Dr. Alfred Meyer of New York, in 1887. Mrs. Meyer is opposed to women's suffrage, unless the franchise be restricted by laws providing for educational qualification. It is her theory that legislation should follow in the footsteps of education. She is a gifted woman, a poet and essayist, though most of her activities have been expended in philanthropic reform and charitable work. Her home is in New York City.