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JWA News Release: April 26, 2004

The Jewish Women's Archive Presents
"And Now About My Mother"
Prominent Boston Community Leaders
Express Appreciations For Their Amazing Moms

Boston, MA, April 26, 2004—In celebration of both Mother's Day and the 350th anniversary of Jewish women building communities in America, the Jewish Women's Archive will host a panel discussion, "And Now About My Mother," at the Boston Public Library from 2pm to 4pm on May 9, 2004 in the Rabb Auditorium. This special event brings together notable community leaders, Congressman Barney Frank, Alan Morse, Richard Kazis and Arthur Waldstein, who will reflect on the impact of their mothers on Boston and beyond.

"These women represent the many American Jewish women who have built communities on this continent for the past 350 years," said Gail Reimer, Executive Director of Jewish Women's Archive. "Mother's Day is an ideal occasion for celebrating the work they have done in their families and in the wider world."

Attorney Arthur Waldstein will pay tribute to his mother, the late Martha Gorovitz Waldstein. Born in Kreslava in the Vitebsk region of Latvia in 1902, Martha immigrated to the United States with her family in 1908. She graduated with honors from Radcliffe College in 1925 and the Smith College School of Social Work in 1927. She dedicated her life to social work, contributing significantly to the Boston community. Her most noted achievements include the introduction of psychological principles to mental health and crisis intervention for the U.S Army in Boston post World War II. In her eighties, she was honored by the National Association of Social Workers as a Pioneer of Social Work, the highest award given out by that association.

High school math teacher and former commercial banker Alan Morse, will celebrate his mother Theresa Jacobson Morse. Born in 1908, Theresa majored in Fine Arts at Radcliffe College. Her concern for children, families and housing, stimulated her personal responsibility for the passage of important legislation pertaining to child welfare and delinquency prevention. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Honorable John Perkins Award for outstanding service to children and youth from the Citizen Training Groups, affiliated with the Boston Juvenile Court, and an honorary doctorate in social work from Boston University.

Author and education expert Richard Kazis will honor his mother Bernice. Born in 1924, Bernice worked to better the lives of Russian immigrants by forging collaborations with Jewish agencies on the North Shore. As Director of Russian Resettlement for the Jewish Family Service of the North Shore, Bernice was responsible for the expansion of services, including the creation of an ESL program, Russian cultural programs, and the opening of a vocational division. She is author of Short Stories of a Long Journey: An Oral History of Russian Jewish Resettlement North of Boston (2002).

Prominent Congressman Barney Frank will pay tribute to his mother Elsie. Born in 1912, Elsie is renowned for her work with the elderly. She served as President of the Massachusetts Commission for older Americans for 15 years and chaired the Advisory Council of the Boston Elderly Commission for 5 years. She serves as an advocate in many organizations for the elderly, and is co-founder of the Commission to End Elder Homelessness, as well as a volunteer.

"And Now About My Mother" will be followed by a dessert reception at Neiman Marcus, 5 Copley Place from 4pm to 6pm. For more information on this event and the Jewish Women's Archive, please visit jwa.org.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "JWA News Release: April 26, 2004." (Viewed on March 29, 2024) <http://jwa.org/news/2004/040426-mothers>.