Women’s League has grown significantly both in size and status from the original group organized by Mathilde Roth Schechter, wife of Solomon Schechter, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1918, 100 women, many the wives of prominent rabbis and scholars affiliated with the Seminary, set forth a mission to perpetuate traditional Judaism in their homes, synagogues and communities, a task for American Jewish women. Now, an international organization, this network links women in 13 regions with groups in Israel and South America.
In 1947, the Pacific Southwest Region was organized by our first president, Augusta Kohn, of blessed memory. This Region has affiliates in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas.
Answering the issue of relevance for today’s Conservative Jewish woman as well as spreading the geographic representation of its leadership, developing an educated Jewish laity, and appealing to younger women are all part of the challenge Women’s League is meeting today. Women’s League is as dedicated as it was in 1918 to creating a vibrant American Jewish community, one which nurtures the family and community with the values of Jewish tradition.