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The Last of the First Mama G

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This biographical memoir examines the life and contributions of Adele Ginzberg (1886-1980), widow of prominent Talmudic scholar Louis Ginzberg and a foundational figure in the Conservative Judaism movement. Through personal recollections and historical documentation, this study traces her role as "the last link between the twentieth-century founders of Conservative Judaism and the movement today." The methodology employs firsthand accounts and archival materials spanning seven decades of American Jewish institutional development. Key findings reveal Ginzberg's instrumental leadership in establishing critical infrastructure for Conservative Judaism, including her successful campaign for the Mathilda Schechter Residence Hall and her extensive work with the Women's League. The analysis demonstrates her evolution from faculty wife to independent communal leader following her husband's death in 1953, when she expanded her involvement in organizations including the Jewish Welfare Board, Girl Scouts of America, and Jewish Braille Institute. Her religious practice and institutional loyalty to the Jewish Theological Seminary, maintained over 71 years, exemplified the tensions between tradition and progressive change within Conservative Judaism. The study concludes that Ginzberg's contributions were pivotal in strengthening Conservative Judaism's organizational foundation and women's participation in Jewish communal life during the mid-twentieth century.

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  • Physical Description

  • Publication Information

    Published 1980

    ISBN

  • Publication Credits

    Eli Ginzberg