The Call of the Jewish Woman to the American Jewish Congress
N appeal is being made to the Jewish women of America to organize and prepare for immediate, unified action in the American Jewish Congress. While the Jewish woman is gathering strength, she is becoming conscious of what she has done in the past and the exigencies of the moment are making clear to her what she can and must do now. Beyond the horizon her male co-worker has begun to realize, as never before, that Jewish womanhood is a mighty force that must be reckoned with.
+ >;--1\%211%-%1 Yy stile The low esteem of women among the ancient peoples, other than the Jewish, is now a matter of tradition. No longer is “the will of man the infallible law of woman,” and one might question the truth of Aristotle’s statement, “Man has the courage to command, woman the courage to serve.” The early Christians’ disdain for woman finds expression in the New Testament: “Let the wives be subject to their husbands, in everything ; for ‘the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church.’ Let the women learn in silence, with all subjection. I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp. authority over the husband, but to be silent.”
When, however, we turn from the New to the Old Testament we find that “man and woman were alike created in the image of God.” Both the Bible and the Talmud emphasize the fact that the Jewish view of woman was on a higher basis than that of any other people and it is only by comparing the opinions of different nations regarding woman that we can understand how much Jewish custom and thought contributed to raising her social status. The woman, the wife, the mother is seen in a new light. Marriage is ennobled and everything is done to develop family life. “There is no question of a gloomy, silent objection, but of a loving alliance . . . The wife is not the slave of her husband, but as God himself calls her, his ‘helpmate.’” To the Rabbi his house was synonymous with his wife, for it was the latter who made the house his home. Again, the Talmud tells us, when a proposition was presented to the husband he would habitually say, “I will go and consult my wife.” Even in modern society we find instances of the Jewish woman, as of old, assuming, almost entirely, the business as well as the household responsi- bilities in order that her husband might study. The woman rejoiced in her husband’s acquisition of knowledge which he imparted to her as far as possible. The Talmud emphasizes the fact that in all important points of law, for man and woman alike, a perfect equality of right was established.
During the period of the Later Roman Empire and the Barbarian Invasions, when the decline of morals was as destructive a force as wars among various nations and tribes, the morality of the Jews was kept intact by the Jewish woman. “The wonderful and mysterious preservation of the Jewish people is due to the Jewish woman. This is her glory, not alone in the history of her own people, but in the history of the world.” _.Many illustrations might be given of the important part that women have played in the development of Jewish
civilization. The Jewish women of the Bible give expression to those womanly qualities which have served to vitalize and strengthen Jewry during the trying periods of its history. Imbued with a deep sense of motherly love, Jochebed openly defies the command of the king. When Moses was leading his people out of Egypt, “Miriam the Prophetess,” regardless of danger and with a marked presence of mind, went out, at the head of the women, and, with timbrel in hand, sang, “Sing ye to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously.” The power of discernment finds expression in Deborah’s powerful “Song of Triumph.” The daughter of Jephtha and Hannah are only two of the many women of the Bible who evidence the fact that the greatest pride of every Jewess was to rear a large family of children and to bring them up in the love of God. The faithfulness and devotion of Jewish women is evidenced by the words of Ruth: “for whither thou goest, will I go, and where thou lodgest, will I lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”
The Jewish queens, who held the reins of government, gave proof of strong personalities. Some of them displayed “a will-power and dignity, an energy and activity which many a man might have envied.” The wife of John Hyrcanos, to whom was given complete power upon the death of her husband, won the esteem of all her people. Salome, or Alexandra, despite the stormy period of her reign, was another able and God-fearing woman who maintained peace among her subjects and gained the good-will of the Pharisees who had obtained great power. By a judicious rule, she was successful in keeping the invaders from her realm and bringing great prosperity to her people. Her wisdom was held in such great esteem that even upon her death-bed the elders of the nation sought her counsel. Mariamne, who with courage and true nobility met the death meted out to her by the unfortunate machinations of Herod the Great, is referred to by Josephus as “a woman of excellent character, both for chastity and greatness of soul.” The faithful and righteous wife of Herod Agrippa, Cypros, stood steadfastly by him in all his vicissitudes of fortune. Even Queen Helena, who was a convert to Judaism, gave expression to a marked characteristic of the Jewish woman, the desire to aid those who are in want, by her great efforts to alleviate the suffering brought about by a famine in Jerusalem. For nearly a quarter of a century she reigned in peace and security, ever mindful of the welfare of her people.