Ramsey County History – Fall 2021: “Tikkun Olam: Jewish Women Serving Their St. Paul Community”

Tikkun Olam: Jewish Women Serving Their St. Paul Community
Author: Kate Dietrick, Gabrielle Horner, and Janet Kampf

Question: How do we go about repairing the troubled world in which we live—in which we’ve always lived? Answer: With the help and creativity of one determined person at a time. In this article, we focus on five determined people—five women from St. Paul’s Jewish community—Hannah Austrian, Sophie Wirth, Annie Paper, Gretta Freeman, and Rhoda Redleaf—who with their associated organizations, helped provide relief for impoverished Jewish families, embraced the resettling of immigrants, supported education efforts for adults all the way down to prekindergarten students, introduced job training, and rallied for other basic rights. These five stepped up in times when such progressive actions by women were often frowned upon. And while their names may have been forgotten by most, their work to make the world a better place still impacts the local community in untold ways to this very day.
PDF of K. Dietrick, G. Horner, and J. Kampf article

Supplemental Information:
RCHS_Fall 2021_Online Supplement_Mutual Aid Organizations
RCHS_Fall 2021_Online Supplement_Annie Shapira Paper Family Album Excerpts