The League of Jewish Women in Germany (German: Jüdischer Frauenbund, JFB) was founded in 1904 by Bertha Pappenheim. Pappenheim led the JFB throughout the first twenty years of its existence, and remained active in it until her death in 1936.
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Growth out of the Women's Movement
The JFB followed the 1899 founding of the German Evangelical Women's Association (German: Deutsch-Evangelischer Frauenbund), as well as the founding in 1903 of the Catholic Women's Association of Germany (German: Katholischer Frauenbund). It was the part of the period of activity some call "First-wave feminism", in which women in some countries, including Germany, led movements aimed to increase women's rights. The foundation of the JFB shaped a distinct movement situated at the intersection of German society and Jewish tradition. From 1907 the JFB was a member of the Union of German Feminist Organizations (German: Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine, BDF), which had been developed as an umbrella organization for the various women's associations.
Goals and work
Unlike many Jewish men's Associations, the JFB was formed less out of resistance to societal antisemitism or for the purpose of encouraging assimilation, but rather as a community of interest focused on Jewish culture. It was open about its desire to bring women into closer contact with Jewish tradition. Many members of the organization came from relatively assimilated Jewish families who had drifted far from tradition, and some were encouraged by their husbands to further conceal their Jewish identities. Some of these women reacted by developing a feminist practice of tzedakah, or the charitable giving mandated by Jewish law. The philanthropic contributions from local women's organizations supported centralized social outreach as well as the maintenance of relationships with international collaborators. This work led to the founding of the Central Office for the Welfare of Jews in Germany (ZWSt) in 1917.