The Jewish League for Woman Suffrage was formed in 1912 in the United Kingdom. It was a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

league promoting

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. The group sought both and political and religious rights for women.

History

When "votes for women" was a major political question in the United Kingdom there was resistance from conservative members of the Jewish community who worried that their involvement might prompt an anti-Semitic backlash. On 3 November 1912 Laura and Leonard Franklin formed the ''Jewish League for Woman Suffrage''. It is thought that it was the only Jewish suffrage group in the world. It was open to members irrespective of their gender. The group's aim was to improve both political and religious rights for women. It was felt that some Jewish people may be more inclined to join this group in preference to an unspecific women's suffrage group. Other members included

Edith Ayrton Edith Ayrton Zangwill (1879 – 1945) was a British author and activist. She helped form the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage. Early life Ayrton was born in 1875 in Japan to the scientist William Edward Ayrton and the doctor Matilda Chaplin ...

Inez Bensusan Inez Bensusan (1871–1967) was an Australian born Jewish actress, playwright and suffragette in the UK. She was a leader of the Actresses' Franchise League and the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage. Life Bensusan was born in Sydney, Australia ...

, Nina Salaman, Hugh Franklin,

Alice Model Alice Model (1856–1943) was a leader of the Union of Jewish Women. She founded and supported organisations promoting family welfare and other philanthropic causes. Personal life Alice Isabella Model née Sichel was born on 13 November 1856, the ...

, Romana Goodman,

Lily Montagu The Hon. Lilian Helen "Lily" Montagu, CBE (22 December 1873 – 22 January 1963) was the first woman to play a major role in Progressive Judaism. Life Lily Montagu was the sixth of 10 children born to Ellen Cohen Montagu (1843–1919) and Samu ...

and her sister Henrietta.

Henrietta Franklin Henrietta "Netta" Franklin, CBE born Henrietta Montagu (9 April 1866 – 7 January 1964) was a British educationist and suffragist. She championed the Parents' National Educational Union and the ideas of Charlotte Mason. Life Franklin was born ...

was one of the few Jewish women to raise their profile in the suffrage movement. Her sister

led a liberal Jewish movement in Britain and in 1902 they had arranged the first meeting of the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism at Henrietta Franklin's house. Lily and Henrietta were key members of the league's all female executive. Lily would lead the meetings in prayer and she would in time become a rabbi. Henrietta achieved wider acceptance and became President of the

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In 1919 it was ren ...

in 1916. The group was generally moderate but it had radical members. Some disrupted synagogue services to make their point in 1913 and 1914. The group was the major Jewish discussion point for two years. Women protesters were ejected from synagogues and they were labelled as "blackguards in bonnets" by the conservative Jewish community. The group's campaign caused some synagogues to give equal or partial rights to women inside their own group, but changes on a national basis took a lot longer to achieve.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jewish League for Women's Suff 1912 establishments in the United Kingdom Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom First-wave feminism in the United Kingdom Jewish feminist organizations Organizations established in 1912 Social history of the United Kingdom Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom Jewish organisations based in the United Kingdom Jewish women's organizations