I dedicate this blog to Mrs. Beatrice Feingold of Worcester, Massachusetts. Bea's social justice work for children and families emanates from her Jewish background. In the Jewish religion, Tikkun Olam, is about "fixing the ills of society." Bea did not attend any formal educational institution to learn how to do her social justice work. Bea was a housewife raising two children in the 1950's where women stayed at home while their husbands worked all day. However, Bea was a dedicated and smart volunteer for various organizations mentioned below. Bea knew how to lead and to persuade "the powers to be" to implement services and programs for youth and families in Worcester County.
Beatrice and I worked on the Elder Affairs Committee for the National Council of Jewish Women(NCJW)-Worcester Section from 1999-2010. We tried through trial and error on what types of programs would be successful for Jewish elders. In 2006, Beatrice and I decided to have two Jewish programs-Meals on Wheels and Jewish Healthcare Center-to select their own entertainers for Chankukah and for Purim celebrations where NCJW would pay for them. We have received positive feedback from both groups since then. I am proud that Beatrice Feingold was my mentor. I will miss her.
"She was a Past President of the Women's Division of the Worcester Jewish Federation, a Past President of Worcester Section of the National Council of Jewish Women as well as a Past President of the New England Region of the National Council of Jewish Women, and was a Past President of the Worcester Section of the National Women's Committee of Brandeis University. She was one of the founders of the Worcester Area Community Service, the predecessor of the U.S. Job Corps. She was a long time member of Temple Emanuel and its Sisterhood and for many years was in charge of its public relations committee.
She was a long time member of Mt. Pleasant Country Club and the Worcester Interfaith Council. She had been an active volunteer for the Jewish Healthcare Center, the Jewish Community Center, and for over 30 years, she was a volunteer for Head Start.In 1962, she, along with 200 Women Community Leaders throughout the country, was invited to The White House to discuss volunteerism in Community Service."
Source:Telegram and Gazette Obituary, 2/3/10.
2 comments:
Thank you for sharing your experiences and admiration for Bea....your blog is a heartfelt and inspiring story of this social justice advocate.
With appreciation....
Michael D'Andrea
We should be careful whenever we say that all women stayed home while their husbands worked. This is far more the white middle and upper middle class woman's experience than it is working and lower class women, especially women of color who often cleaned the homes of or at home women for and for very low wages.
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