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.
Kałuszyn: Article about a disagreement between the Jews of Kaluszyn and those from another village. The committee has decided to organize a fundraiser for the "religious daughters' school" (Bais Yaakov school) ...
Sokołów: Bais Yaakov students led Purim celebrations in the city of Sokołów. Due to financial difficulties, they need to collect tuition money from parents or seek donations from the Orthodox Jewish community ...
Lukow: Article discussing the opening of a Bais Yaakov school. The community has been asked to bring in a teacher and cover her salary. However, this has not yet occurred ...
The First Conference of "Tzeirot Agudath Israel" in Lodz: Article on a "Tzeirot Agudath Israel" conference that took place at one of the Bais Yaakov schools in the city of Lodz, with 100 representatives from 60 cities in Poland and esteemed guests in attendance ...
From My Bookcase: Continuing a previous review of the BY Journal from March 9, 1925, the writer offers literary criticism on specific pieces published in the BYJ ...
The Iron Will is Actions: Call to action for girls' education: Every city that doesn't have a Bais Yaakov school should establish one, and those with an existing school should continue raising funds to support it. Parents who can afford to pay tuition are encouraged to do so, but there must also be provisions for children from poor families to ensure they are not left out ...
