Biographical stories and sites of: Recha Freier (founder of the Youth Alijah Movement), Sala Kochman (resistance fighter), Inge Deutschkron (survived in hiding), Mascha Kaléko (immigrated to the USA), Hanna Karminski (leader of the Jewish Women’s Organization), Regina Jonas (first woman rabbi) and Stella K. (denouncer)...

JEWISH WOMEN AROUND THE FIRST WOMEN`S MOVEMENT

In 1896 the first International Women’s Congress concerns took place in the Berlin City Hall with 1400 participants coming from 17 countries. It was organized by Lina Morgenstern a Jewish activist of the first Women’s Movement. Many other assimilated Jewish women were active in the city such as Bona Peiser (set up professional education for librarians), social activists (Jeanette Schwerin, Alice Salomon), writers (Gertrud Kolmar, Else Ury), Jewish women’s organizations (Hanna Karminski, Ernestine Eschelbacher)...

FORGOTTEN PLACES OF JEWISH SOCIAL WORK; HEALING PEDAGOGICS AND HEALTH SERVICES

The tour shows the progressive concepts of Jewish social work, which were rooted in the principle of Zedakah. The Jewish institutions founded - orphanages, Jewish services at railway centers, the youth alijah school, kosher soup kitchens, communication centers and counselling services, professional education for nurses - became models for communal services because of their pioneer spirit. During the nazi period the efforts increased because of discrimination for example the Jewish winter help, preparation for emigration, new education services ...

REGINA JONAS - THE FIRST WOMAN RABBI OF THE WORLD

Regina Jonas (born in 1902) became a teacher before she began studying on the liberal Academy for Judaism (Leo Baeck). During the Nazi period many rabbis emigrated so that often small communities had no rabbinical support. In 1935 Regina Jonas (ordained by Max Dienemann) was sent to these communities and was responsible for pastoral care in various social institutions. Later she was sent to do forced labor. Then she was deported to Theresienstadt where she organized a counseling service with Victor Frankl, the founder of existential analysis. Later she was deported to Auschwitz and murdered.
Several decades later, the American Reform Movement started in 1972 ordaining women to rabbis. The tour also presents current activities of Jewish women (egalitarian minjan, rosh chodesh group...)