The First World Congress of Jewish Women was held in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria, from 6 to 11 May 1923. It brought together some 200 delegates from over 20 countries.

Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

was a prominent topic, while emigration to Palestine for Jewish refugees was discussed and strongly supported. Anitta Müller-Cohen

Background

Interest in international activities grew out of the

National Council of Jewish Women The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Founded in 1893, NCJW is self-described as the oldest Jewish women’s grassroots organization in the United States, now comprised by over 180,000 members. As of ...

(NCJW) which was established in the United States at the end of the 19th century. It was followed by Jewish women's organizations in England and Germany. There was renewed interest after the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

when delegates of the NCJW were sent to Europe to investigate the situation there. It was therefore decided to bring together Jewish women from many different countries to a conference in May 1923 where they could "consider problems created by the war and lay constructive plans for working together".

Conference

Supported by the Council of Jewish Women, local preparations for the congress were ensured above all by

Anitta Müller-Cohen Anitta Müller-Cohen born Rosenzweig (1890–1962) was an Austrian-born Jewish woman who emigrated to Tel Aviv, Palestine, in 1935. In Austria, she was a prominent social worker, politician and writer who became increasingly interested in Zionism. ...

. Chaired by the Hungarian-born American Rebekah Kohut, the Vienna congress brought together delegates from over 20 countries. Held in the impressive premises of the

Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrun ...

, the opening session was also attended by many illustrious local figures, including the Austrian president Michael Hainisch, the mayor of Vienna, the chief of police, as well as writers and politicians. Subsequent sessions were held in the Commerce Association's building (''im Großen Saal des Kaufmännischen Gremiums'').

Speakers

Among the speakers at the congress's opening session were

Marianne Hainisch Marianne Hainisch, born Marianne Perger (25 March 1839 – 5 May 1936) was the founder and leader of the Austrian women's movement. She was also the mother of Michael Hainisch, the second President of Austria (1920–1928). Life Marianne Perger ...

, founder of the Austrian women's movement;

Zwi Perez Chajes Zwi Perez Chajes, also Tzvi-Peretz Hayot, (13 October 1876 – 13 December 1927) was a rabbi, historian, biblical scholar and a notable Zionist leader. Biography Zwi Perez Chajes was born in 1876 in Brody, then part of Austria-Hungary, now in U ...

, chief rabbi of Vienna; Regine Ulmann and Anitta Müller-Cohen from the women's movement; and

Alois Pick Alois (Latinized ''Aloysius'') is an Old Occitan form of the name Louis. Modern variants include ''Aloïs'' ( French), ''Aloys'' ( German), ''Alois'' (Czech), ''Alojz'' ( Slovak, Slovenian), '' Alojzy'' (Polish), '' Aloísio'' (Portuguese, Span ...

, president of Vienna's Israelite Community. Speakers spoke in their own languages, mainly German and English but occasionally also French and Italian. Where necessary, interpretation was provided. Speaking on behalf of Vienna's

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

Community, Mazal Ovadia spoke in Hebrew, receiving wide acclaim. There were some 200 congress delegates from Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, the Free City of Danzig, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Mandatory Palestine, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Representing international Jewish organizations, there were also women from Russia and the Ukraine.

Topics

The five main topics discussed over the conference's six day programme included "the duties of the Jewish woman within the community, the problem of refugees and orphans, the situation of homeless girls, aid for emigration, and support for Palestine." There was lengthy discussion of how Palestine could serve as a sanctuary for European refugees who wished to relocate. Among the speakers on the first days were

Roza Pomerantz-Meltzer Roza Pomerantz-Meltzer (Polish: Róża Pomeranc-Melcer; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1934)died at age 55, Oct. 20, 1934, American Jewish Yearbook, By American Jewish Committee, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1935, p. 270 was a Pol ...

from Poland on grants for Jewish schools, Bertha Pappenheim from Austria on the need to protect Jewish girls from prostitution, and Dr. Korolik from Russia on the dreadful treatment of Jewish children in Russia. The discussions revealed the disastrous consequences for refugees and orphans who had been rendered homeless as a result of

pogroms A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russian ...

and persecution. When representatives from Eastern Europe described the fate of Jews in Russia and the Ukraine, the effects on the participants were so distressing that the proceedings had to be interrupted for a few minutes. While there was no support for political action, it was suggested that, in line with the

Balfour Declaration The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman regio ...

, Zionism could serve as a practical means of dealing with the suffering experienced by the Jews. There was unanimous agreement on the need for support to Palestine. In the words of one of the final congress resolutions: "It appears, therefore, to be the duty of all Jews to co-operate in the social-economic reconstruction of Palestine and to assist in the settlement of Jews in that country."

Second congress

A second World Congress of Jewish Women was held in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

, Germany, from 3 to 6 June 1929.Rozenblit, M. L. (2007). Margarete Grandner, and Edith Saurer, eds. Geschlecht, Religion und Engagement: Die jüdischen Frauenbewegungen im deutschsprachigen Raum. L'Homme Schrift en, 9. Vienna: Böhlau Verlag, 2005. Pp. 262, illus. Austrian History Yearbook, 38, 235-236.

References