CORRESPONDENCE
The Vocational School for Girls
Letter from the Secretary of the Jewish Women’s League, Manchester, England.
In the report of the Convention of the American Zionists contained in your July issue, I was interested to find a letter by Miss Stavsky, urging the convention to undertake the formation of a vocational school for girls in Palestine. As I understand Miss Stavsky to have resided in Palestine, she must surely be aware of the existence and functions of the Jewish Woman's League for Cultural Work in Palestine whose last report I herewith submit. This J. W. L. or Verbandder Judische Frauen für Kulturarbeit in Palestina with its headquarters in Berlin and presided over by Frau Prof. Warburg, does not confine itself to one branch of labor. Its activities partake of a varied character, and the one Miss Stavsky urges is embraced in its program, and awaits but larger support to give it fuller life. I suggest and even venture an appeal that instead of creating additional organizations for furthering Palestinian regeneration, that support be given to the one existing for this particular function to raise the status of our women and girls in Palestine by training them to positions of competence and independence. By creating too many organizations for the furthering of our work, we defeat our own ends, for we squander our energies and rob the help from those who look to us for it. Let us rather strengthen our possibilities by concentration, and co-operate where kindred aims permit it. And in this case they do. With concentrated effort and earnest enthusiasm we shall be rendering more loyal service there than by splitting
our forces and raising up rival institutions for the like purpose.
The J. W. L. was since its foundation at the Hague Congress in 1907, established lace ateliers, where many girls have learned to earn a living and help to support others; (the goods made being sold in various parts of the world) a girl's farm at Kinereth, where training is giving in domestic duties, in the various branches of farming, including horticulture, dairy-farming, agriculture, poultry, breeding, etc. the training of hospital nurses and supporting and the care and treatment of the sick in hospitals is also part of its program, whilst a Training School for Domestic Economy where household management, needlework, dressmaking etc will be taught, is amongst its aspirations. Surely none will gainsay the worthiness of such objects pleading for support. Won't our American sisters work with those in other lands to give those in Palestine the opportunity for development and self-emancipation hitherto denied them? I shall gladly forward copies of last report upon application.
P.S. In consequence of the War, communication with Berlin is cut off but it will be advisable to form a Provisional Headquarters in every land where a Central Committee exists to look after the interests of the League in Palestine. The money remitted here from other parts of the world will be sent to a reliable source like the Palestine Amt for disbursment till other provision is made.