The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women

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William Toll

William Toll has taught in the history departments of Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. His publications include The Making of an Ethnic Middle Class: Portland Jewry Over Four Generations and Women, Men, and Ethnicity: Essays on the Structure and Thought of American Jewry.

Articles by this author

Club Movement in the United States

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Jewish women shifted from benevolent work to social and personal reform, often through aiding immigrants and young, vulnerable women. They facilitated educational opportunities to learn about Jewish history and ethics, which in turn helped inform their aid work. These efforts created a space specifically for women in American Jewish society.