Note on Content:

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.

April 9, 1937

April 9, 1937

Fraulein Dvaretzka Returns: Reception for the Returning Bais Yaakov Teacher in Pinsk ...
December 3, 1937

December 3, 1937

A Bais Yaakov Evening: Announcement about an upcoming public program put on by Bais Yaakov of Pinsk, including a play, "Cantonists," skits in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Polish, dance, gymnastics, and more ...
January 19, 1938

January 19, 1938

Bais Yaakov Conference in Lithuania: Detailed description of a Bais Yaakov conference in Kovno, including the ten lectures presented along with other activities ...
May 6, 1938

May 6, 1938

Announcement of the opening of a new full-day Bais Yaakov, a new building and establishment of new programs in the Bais Yaakov of Pinsk ...
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