Harriet Cohn
Born in the early 20th century, Harriet Segal Cohn was the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants. Her grandfather helped organized the first Socialist Party of Massachusetts. She grew up in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester and later Winthrop, MA. Her family was one of few Jewish families in their Winthrop neighborhood, and at an early age Harriet learned to embrace Judaism even though it set her apart from most of her friends. Her dedication to Temple Israel was strong as evidenced by her weekly trek for services and schooling; as a sixth-grader she had to ride a train, a ferry, and three streetcars to get there. Harriet attended the Choate School and later Wellesley College. In 1928, during spring vacation of her senior year, Harriet married Haskell Cohn, a prominent lawyer at Hale and Dorr. Harriet dedicated her life to raising her children and to a variety of social service activities, including Temple Israel Sisterhood and Jewish Family and Children’s Services. In her later years, Harriet reluctantly learned to accept widowhood and growing older. According to a Boston Globe feature about her, Harriet remained active until her death at 100 years old in 2006.
Harriet describes her family history, how they immigrated to and settled in the Boston area, and her grandfather’s involvement in the Socialist Party of Massachusetts. She recounts her childhood in Dorchester and then Winthrop, how she got along with her siblings, and learning of the start of World War I. Growing up, Harriet attended a Unitarian Church in Winthrop and Sunday school at Temple Israel. She was aware of a divide between Jewish and non-Jewish and experienced antisemitism as a young person. She talks about her educational experiences at Choate School and later Wellesley College and tells the story of how she met her husband Haskell Cohn when he was a sophomore at Dartmouth. Cohn describes her married life, getting involved in various volunteer and social service activities, and raising her children. Finally, she reflects on her life as a widow and what she’s able to accomplish at her age and on her own.
