In praise of the volunteer’s spirit

Ladies’ Hebrew Union Aid from the 1930s. /Rhode Island Jewish Historical AssociationLet us begin with some statistics. Between 1880 and 1916, 21 Jewish women’s organizations received charters from the State of Rhode Island: one each in Pawtucket, Bristol and Woonsocket; three in Newport; the remainder in Providence. These were the years of the massive emigrations from Eastern Europe, when so many newcomers needed help, and Jewish communities were just beginning to take shape. The founders of these organizations were, with few exceptions, immigrants themselves who undertook the tremendous task of helping their neighbors through difficult times.

With six specific exceptions, the organizations all included charitable undertakings as their purpose. Education and social activities were highlighted in the three Young Women’s Hebrew Association of Newport, Woonsocket and Bristol.

Among the six exceptions were the Ladies’ Auxiliaries in Newport and South Providence who planned to build a mikveh in their respective cities. Another group had a charter for a Jewish orphanage; it existed for about a year. The other three grew from existing organizations: Miriam Hospital Association of Providence, R.I. (Miriam Society #1), the Jewish Home for the Aged (Ladies’ Hebrew Union Aid Association) and the North End Dispensary (National Council of Jewish Women).

The organizations in Providence often had the word “aid” in their title. That was their main reason for being – to give help where needed, be it matzoh and Passover supplies, coal, clothing, medicines, visits to the sick and elderly at home or at the state institutions at Howard. They provided a social service safety net for the burgeoning Jewish population.

Too often the organizations duplicated services, and though well intentioned, not all prospered. Many disbanded after a short time or merged with more successful enterprises. In time the wider community established agencies to provide the needed social and medical services. The women’s organizations, the founding mothers, became auxiliaries playing a supporting role.

In 1953, three of the “aid” organizations reinvented themselves. The women recognized their original purpose no longer had relevance. Their membership had dwindled, but they refused to “go out of business.” The venerable Montefiore Lodge Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Association (chartered in 1880), Ladies’ Hebrew Union Aid Association (1890) and South Providence Ladies Aid Association (1908) voted to join together to form the Festival Committee for the State Institutions of Rhode Island.

Although there had been visits to the state institutions at Howard and Wallum Lake for many years, there was no regular schedule. Transportation – public transportation – was difficult. Few, if any, women drove in the years before World War II. And so, the Jewish patients were neglected and often abused because they had no advocates or anyone visiting them. Either they had no relatives or their families had abandoned them. Christian holidays were celebrated but not Jewish holidays.

Correcting this situation, filling a neglected niche in the community, renewed the sense of purpose of these dedicated volunteers. They set to work. They built a chapel and saw to it that a rabbi held services at Howard. High Holy Days were properly observed and a sukkah erected in an auditorium. They sponsored Seders; at the Ladd School all 100 residents and staff were invited. The one Jewish prisoner was not allowed to attend the Seder but was served his meal at the prison. Hanukkah and Purim parties, summer picnics, Shabbat dinners, gifts and treats from the hospital canteen – all were financed by the annual bridge and donations of money, food and services. At first the women themselves cooked the Kosher meals and prepared the Kiddush that followed the religious services. Later the kitchen staff of the hospitals took over the task under supervision. 

A thick folder in the archives of Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association contains a record via newspaper clippings and photos of their work. The record ends in 1978, when, one may surmise, the Festival Committee curtailed their work. We do not know when they ceased or the reasons.

Suffice it to say, an era and a view of community service had come to an end.

GERALDINE FOSTER is a past president of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.To comment about this or any Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association article, email info@rijha.org.