National Council of Jewish Women, St. Paul section records

Founded in 1893, the National Council for Jewish Women is the oldest Jewish women's volunteer organization and the largest affiliate of the International Council of Jewish Women, which has over one million members in 34 countries. The National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization that has been at the forefront of social change for over a century. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW takes a progressive stance on issues such as child welfare, women's rights, and reproductive freedom. The St. Paul section, a charter member of NCJW, was also established in 1893 with Rachel Haas as the first president. The early years included organizing the Industrial School for Girls, which later evolved into the West Side Neighborhood House, and the establishment of a camp for children and their mothers in 1912. When NCJW merged with the Jewish Relief Society, the camp was renamed Lake Rest Vacation Home; in 1926 it was renamed Sophie Wirth Camp. In 1932 the St. Paul Maternal Health Center was established with financial assistance from NCJW; the center focused upon birth control for women, later becoming Planned Parenthood. Due to NCJW's commitment to children, the St. Paul section and St. Paul public schools have often worked together. In 1964 the McKinley Pre-School Project began, using NCJW volunteers as teachers' aids in an inner city school. This project served as a model for the Head Start Program. In 1979 the section was asked by the St. Paul schools to develop a curriculum for Southeast Asian refugees arriving in large numbers throughout the Twin Cities. TLC, Teaching Language Communication, was born from this, a well-received program for working with students for whom English is a second language.

Through the years NCJW continued to provide training, education, and shelter for young immigrant women, advocated for child labor laws, arranged child care for immigrant families, and provided services to help the disadvantaged. The St. Paul section often works in coalition with the Minneapolis section of NCJW as well as other organizations throughout the Twin Cities. The St. Paul section continues to thrive with over 600 members. For more information, visit their website at www.ncjwstpaul.org.