The articles assembled here represent stories about Bais Yaakov in various publications.
The newspapers and journals in which these stories appeared represent the wide range of the interwar press, from serious journalism to lowbrow sensationalism, and spanning from the Orthodox to secular (or anti-religious) segments of Polish Jewish society.
While the Orthodox press ordinarily spoke of Bais Yaakov with enormous enthusiasm and respect, that is less true for the popular daily press, where Bais Yaakov was often taken as an object of curiosity and amusement.
In at least one case, the 1933 Heyntige nayes story of Sarah Schenirer writing a movie script for Bais Yaakov production, the “report” seems to have been either a fabrication or a transparent joke.
For a brief description of each newspaper mentioned, see the JPRESS website. We thank JPRESS for permission to present material from their searchable digitization of the historical Jewish press.
Of Cities and Towns: Small town news about Bais Yaakov girls and teachers in Probizhna, Ukraine, hanging out with Hasidic boys in the evening, and getting in trouble with the Agudah authorities ...
Rabbi Tobias Horowitz Here, Seeks Fund for Orthodox Girls Schools in Poland: Rabbi Horowitz is charged with raising $25,000 from American Jews for the Bais Yaakov seminary in Krakow ...
A "College" Where Girls Learn to Kosher Meat: An article in the New York Forverts, "Letter from Warsaw," describing in humorous (or belittling) tones the Bais Yaakov seminary as a "college" where girls learn to kosher meat and have classes on how to pray "tkhines." ...
Ongoing Construction of the Bais Yaakov Seminary Building: Rabbi Asher Shapiro's report on the eagerly awaited Kraków seminary building, which was under construction ...
The Bais Yaakov Seminary Building in Kraków: The rapid rate of construction for the Bais Yaakov Seminary building, and a fundraising appeal for the still-needed funds. Note the list of Keren Hatorah leaders in the article above ...
A Tu Beshvat Celebration in Bais Yaakov: Description of a Tu Beshvat celebration in Shedletz (Siedlce), which included performances and a lecture on the meaning of the day ...
