Welcome Remarks for "America鈥檚 Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today"
McGowan Theater,听威尼斯人娱乐场 Building, Washington, DC
May 23, 2019听
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Good evening, and welcome to the William G. McGowan Theater at the 威尼斯人娱乐场. I鈥檓 David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, and I鈥檓 pleased you could join us for today鈥檚 program, whether you are here in the theater or joining us through Facebook or YouTube.
We are presenting this program in partnership with the Capital Jewish Museum in celebration of Jewish Heritage Month, and we thank them for their support
Tonight鈥檚 conversation is one of many programs we鈥檝e developed to tie into our new exhibit in the Lawrence F. O鈥橞rien Gallery: Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote.
Before we get started, I鈥檇 like tell you about two other programs coming up soon in this theater.
On Tuesday, May 28, at 7 p.m., Henry Louis Gates, Jr., will discuss Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow, his book about the struggle by African Americans for equality after the Civil War.
And on Tuesday, June 4, at noon, Kaitlin Sidorsky, author of All Roads Lead to Power: The Appointed and Elected Paths to Public Office for U.S. Women, will examine how many more women are appointed, rather than elected, to political office.
Check our website, Archives.gov, or sign up at the table outside the theater to get email updates. You鈥檒l also find information about other 威尼斯人娱乐场 programs and activities.
Another way to get more involved with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is to become a member of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. The Foundation supports the work of the agency, especially its education and outreach programs. Visit its website鈥�补谤肠丑颈惫别蝉蹿辞耻苍诲补迟颈辞苍.辞谤驳鈥�to learn more about the Foundation and join online.
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I mentioned earlier that we鈥檝e just opened a new exhibit upstairs. Rightfully Hers is the cornerstone of our centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The exhibit tells the story of women鈥檚 struggle for voting rights and explores the roles of women from a variety of backgrounds.
One of the women featured in a 鈥淪uffragist Spotlight鈥� is Rose Schneiderman. Schneiderman was born into a Jewish family in Russian Poland that moved to New York City in 1890, when she was a child. In 1906, she was elected as an officer in the New York Woman鈥檚 Trade Union League and was instrumental in the 1909 garment workers鈥� strike. Insisting that wage-earning women needed the vote to fight against low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions, Schneiderman鈥檚 powerful oratory played a crucial role in winning woman suffrage in New York in 1917.
Women like Schneiderman contributed to the growth of the nation throughout American history. Tonight we鈥檙e privileged to hear about several of them from author Pamela Nadell and Wendy Turman of the Capital Jewish Museum.
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It is now my pleasure to welcome to the stage Howard Morse, the president of the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. Projected to open in 2021, the Capital Jewish Museum will explore the past, present, and future of Jewish life in Washington.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Howard Morse.
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