Hannah Bachman Einstein
Encyclopedia
Hannah Bachman Einstein (28 January 1862 in New York City
- 28 November 1929) was an American Jewish social worker and activist who was instrumental in the establishment of child welfare boards
in the United States
.
Born to German
immigrants and married to a wool
manufacturer, this mother of two children became involved with the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood - a Jewish benevolent organisation dedicated to charitable causes. In 1897, she became the head of the sisterhood, and two years later the president of the New York chapter of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods.
She studied sociology
and criminology
at various colleges and came to the conclusion that many of the social problems she saw in her charitable work could be traced to the breakup of families and that the institutions in place for orphans were a poor solution. The frequent absence of children's mothers - who in broken homes usually had to find work - were in her opinion the cause of delinquency and social dysfunction.
Einstein advocated, along with Sophie Irene Loeb
, the establishment of a "mother's pension" - a source of public funds to support single mothers so that they could remain with their children. This was approved by state legislators in New York in 1915, paving the way for the New York Child Welfare Law. By 1920, most American states had established mother's pensions or child welfare laws of some description, leading to the almost complete elimination of orphanage
s in America.
Hannah Einstein also served in other charities, and was one of the founders of the Federation of Jewish Women's Organizations.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- 28 November 1929) was an American Jewish social worker and activist who was instrumental in the establishment of child welfare boards
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Born to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrants and married to a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
manufacturer, this mother of two children became involved with the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood - a Jewish benevolent organisation dedicated to charitable causes. In 1897, she became the head of the sisterhood, and two years later the president of the New York chapter of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods.
She studied sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
at various colleges and came to the conclusion that many of the social problems she saw in her charitable work could be traced to the breakup of families and that the institutions in place for orphans were a poor solution. The frequent absence of children's mothers - who in broken homes usually had to find work - were in her opinion the cause of delinquency and social dysfunction.
Einstein advocated, along with Sophie Irene Loeb
Sophie Irene Loeb
Sophie Irene Loeb was a US journalist and social-welfare advocate.She was born Sophie Irene Simon. She was a school teacher in McKeesport, PA, at the East End Public School before she married A.F...
, the establishment of a "mother's pension" - a source of public funds to support single mothers so that they could remain with their children. This was approved by state legislators in New York in 1915, paving the way for the New York Child Welfare Law. By 1920, most American states had established mother's pensions or child welfare laws of some description, leading to the almost complete elimination of orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
s in America.
Hannah Einstein also served in other charities, and was one of the founders of the Federation of Jewish Women's Organizations.
External links
- Hannah Bachman Einstein at the Jewish Virtual Library