The Bais Yaakov Journal

The Bais Yaakov Journal

The Bais Yaakov Journal was a publication of Bais Yaakov and the Agudah. It was edited by Eliezer Gershon Friedenson, from his office in Łódź, and it appeared monthly (or sometimes more often) from 1923 to 1939. A Polish supplement accompanied the Yiddish journal beginning in 1924. The Polish supplement was discontinued in 1929, when Bais Yaakov embraced Orthodox Yiddishism (see bio of Solomon Shlyome Birnbaum). Below are links to selected issues, digitized and presented here with generous permission from YIVO. (Some issues are missing from the YIVO archives.)

We have provided summaries of the highlights of each issue, but along with these were regular features, including:

  • reflections by Sarah Schenirer on the parsha, Jewish holidays, and Bais Yaakov topics in nearly every issue
  • letters to the editor
  • a column by ELiezer Gershon Friedensohn called “From Month to Month”
  • an advice column called “Sister to Sister”
  • book reviews
  • announcements about Bais Yaakov events
  • reports from local Bais Yaakovs and Bnos chapters
  • announcements of births, engagements, marriages, and deaths
  • advertisements.

Some of the regular journal topics came and went. For instance, in the late 1920s, Bais Yaakov published Yiddish translations of poetry by Rabindranath Tagore in nearly every issue, participating in the general European passion for his poetry.

As part of the ongoing nature of the Bais Yaakov Project, we will finish uploading the print runs of the Bais Yaakov Journal though 1939, and add the print runs of the Bais Yaakov Ruf (Lithuania), Bet Yaakov (Israel), and Beth Jacob (United States).

We also plan to translate the Yiddish, Polish, and Hebrew journals. If you would like to contribute your time and expertise, please contact us

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 119 (1934)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 119 (1934)

  • An essay by Rabbi Meir Shapiro (ZL) on the tenth anniversary of his mother’s passing
  • Poems and stories by Elimelekh Shteyer, Israel Emiat, Eliezer Schindler, and Chaya Rubin’s poem titled "Beside the Machine", describing working on a sewing machine. The writer is a member of a Warsaw Hakhshara group
  • Yehuda Leib Orlean’s essay "Knowing and Understanding" on child psychology and pedagogy, and children’s thinking ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 120 (1934)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 120 (1934)

  • An opinion article by Rachel Bat Tovim titled "Give us an Estate" uses the biblical story of the daughters of Zelophehad to argue that Bnos members deserve their fair share of the certificates that the Agudath Israel is distributing for immigration to the Land of Israel
  • Poems by Eliezer Schindler and Elimelekh Shteyer. A scene from a play titled "In the House” by Israel ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 121 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 121 (1935)

  • Sarah Schenirer’s personal essay, "This Too Is for the Best", addresses some of the hardships she overcame in her life
  • An article by Yehuda Leib Orlean on Jewish beliefs and spirituality
  • Scene from a play titled "Return" by Israel Emiat, which takes place in a Berlin family in which the children all have non-Jewish names and attend the University
  • An anonymous report about the ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 122 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 122 (1935)

  • An opinion article by Yaakov Landau titled "For Jewish Immigration (Aliyah)”, arguing for the importance of immigration to the Land of Israel and calling for doing God's work through actions
  • Y. Ski’s article on the “language wars” in the Land of Israel, the fight against Yiddish in spoken language and in print, newspapers, etc.
  • An article about Nazism by Yehuda Leib Orlean titled "The ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 123 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 123 (1935)

  • This issue is dedicated to Sarah Schenirer's death and includes her death notice on the front page, as well as long obituaries by Eliezer Gershon Friedensohn, Esther Goldshtaf, Hana Grosfeld, Esther Heytner, Yehudit Gelblum, Ish Levi. Most of these texts describe Schenirer as “the mother”
  • Reports on the final months of Sarah Schenirer's life, focusing on her ceaseless work and including letters she wrote
  • ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 124 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 124 (1935)

  • Elimelekh Shteyer’s essay, "Sarah Schenirer, the Legend", describes the legendary character of her life story
  • Alter Schnur, "Collection of Pearls", on Passover
  • Sarah Schenirer on Passover, titled "What Does the Passover Sacrifice Teach Us?"
  • Two memorial essays on Sarah Schenirer by Sarah Pesa Gutmorgen and by Beyle Gross Fastag titled "Her Spirit Lives Among Us", about Sarah Schenirer's legacy. And reports on different events ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 125 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 125 (1935)

  • Special memorial double-issue for Sarah Schenirer. Articles and essays about her life, work, legacy, and the continuation of this work after her death by Eliezer Gershon Friedensohn, Yehuda Leib Orlean, Dr. Shmuel Deutschlander, Dr. Nathan Birnbaum, Dr. Shlomo Birnbaum, Benjamin Zusman, Hillel Seidman, Sarah Pesa Gutmorgen, Dr. Benzion Pesler, Dr. Yehudit Rosenbaum-Greenfeld, Yehudit Bauminger, Gitel Pass, Esther Heytner, Hene Ziskind, Sarah Chana Guter, Zirl  ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 126-127 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 126-127 (1935)

  • Poems by Elimelekh Shteyer, and Israel Emiat. A novella titled "Light along the Way..." by Y. Ganzweich, and a short story by Esther Rosa Heytner titled "Musicians"
  • Neta Berliner’s "The Problem of Influence" warns of the dangers of influence by secular Zionists in immigration to the Land of Israel
  • A literary review by Ovadia HaCohen of Israel Emiat’s new poetry collection
  • Essay by A ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 128 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 128 (1935)

  • Essays in memory of Dr. Shmuel Deutschlander, marking the 30th day after the funeral, by Shlomo Birnbaum, Rabbi Benjamin Jacobson, and Dr. Judith Grunfeld
  • Eliezer Gershon Friedensohn’s essay, "Help Bais Yaakov Schools!" argues that activists and leaders think that Bais Yaakov is popular enough and that parents understand the importance of girls’ education, but the schools still struggle financially and it is of great ...
Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 129 (1935)

Bais Yaakov Journal Issue 129 (1935)

  • Special issue celebrating the 13th anniversary of the Bais Yaakov Journal and the 10th anniversary of Bnos
  • Poems by Israel Emiat ("Prayers"), and by David Apteiker describing a walk from Tiberias to Migdal in the Land of Israel
  • Esther Goldshtoff’s essay "Prayers of Yom-Kippur" offers a reflection on the holy day's prayers.
  • Several essays about Bnos: Hana Grosfeld writes on the importance of Bnos ...