Julia I. Felsenthal

Felsenthal was born in Chicago, the daughter of rabbi Bernhard Felsenthal and Henrietta Blumenfeld Felsenthal. Both of her parents were born in Germany.{{Cite news|date=1949-11-13|title=Jewish Leader to be Cited at Fete on Nov. 28|pages=169|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54459609/jewish-leader-to-be-cited-at-fete-on/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|date=1951-12-02|title=Miss Julia Felsenthal (photograph)|pages=1|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54459992/julia-felsenthal-1951/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}}

Felsenthal was a social worker and Jewish community leader, based in Chicago.{{Cite news|last=Mandel|first=E.|date=1896-11-18|title=Problems of the Race|pages=10|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54459050/problems-of-the-racee-mandel/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|date=1905-05-09|title=Jewish Women Hold Election|pages=7|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54459312/jewish-women-hold-election/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1893 she served on the Jewish women's committee at the Columbian Exposition. She was one of the founders and leaders of the National Council of Jewish Women,[https://www.bjpa.org/search-results/publication/22178 Papers of the Jewish Women's Congress] (1893), Berman Jewish Policy Archive, Stanford University.{{Cite news|date=1905-12-06|title=Jewish Women in Council|pages=2|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54460096/jewish-women-in-council/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}} president of the Chicago chapter of the Council of Jewish Women,{{Cite news|date=1905-05-09|title=Jewish Women Hold Election|pages=7|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54459312/jewish-women-hold-election/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}} and vice-president of the National Association of Jewish Social Workers.{{Cite news|date=1916-05-11|title=Cohen is Chosen Jewish Leader|pages=4|work=The Indianapolis Star|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54454440/cohen-is-chosen-jewish-leader/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}} She was superintendent of the Sinai West Side Sabbath School,{{Cite journal|last=Felsenthal|first=Julia I.|date=1909|title=Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K4zlAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Julia+I.+Felsenthal%22&pg=PA265|journal=The Advocate: America's Jewish Journal|volume=37|pages=265}} and taught correspondence courses through the Jewish Chautauqua Society.{{Cite journal|date=January 1912|title=A Correspondence School for Religious School Teachers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1POAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Julia+I.+Felsenthal%22&pg=PA534|journal=Religious Education|volume=6|pages=536}}

Felsenthal worked one summer at Hull House with Jane Addams. Much of her social work involved the diverse needs of Jewish immigrants.{{Cite journal|last=Felsenthal|first=Julia I.|date=June 10, 1911|title=Report of the Immigration Committee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W0gcAQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+I+Felsenthal&pg=PA748|journal=The Reform Advocate|volume=41|pages=748–750}} In 1914, she was superintendent of the Jewish Welfare Society in Minneapolis. In 1930 Felsenthal endorsed the Griffin Bill, which would have allowed qualified applicants for naturalization to take the oath of United States citizenship without denying their religious or philosophical reservations about "the lawfulness of war as a means of settling international disputes."{{Cite book|last=United States Congress House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cC7vOyFKolcC&q=%22Julia+I.+Felsenthal%22&pg=PA108|title=Bill to Permit Oath of Allegiance by Candidates for Citizenship to be Made with Certain Reservations: Hearings ... on H.R. 3547. May 8-9, 1930|date=1930|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|pages=108|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=McNeil|first=Marshall|date=March 14, 1930|title=Texan Clashes over War Oath of Citizenship|page=18|work=El Paso Evening Post|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35955506/el-paso-evening-post/|access-date=June 30, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}

Felsenthal remained active with Jewish women's organizations in Chicago until the last year of her life.{{Cite news|last=Powers|first=Irene|date=1954-01-10|title=Anniversary Fete Set for Tomorrow|pages=93|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54460540/anniversary-fete-set-for-tomorrowirene/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}} She died in 1954, aged 87 years, in Chicago.{{Cite news|date=1954-11-23|title=Julia Felsenthal (death notice)|pages=55|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54460706/julia-felsenthal-death-notice/|access-date=2020-06-30|via=Newspapers.com}}

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• {{Find a Grave|171864790}}
• Julia I. Felsenthal, [https://books.google.com/books?id=JvufAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22Julia+I.+Felsenthal%22&pg=PA122 "The Influence of the Jewish Religion in the Home"] Papers of the Jewish Women's Congress (Chicago, 1893): 122-128.
• Julia I. Felsenthal, [https://books.google.com/books?id=W0gcAQAAMAAJ&q=Julia&pg=PA481 "Links of a Chain"], The Advocate: America's Jewish Journal 41(May 6, 1911): 481.
• [https://digital.janeaddams.ramapo.edu/items/show/2178 Letter from Julia I. Felsenthal to Jane Addams] (October 25, 1908), in the Jane Addams Papers Project, Digital Edition.

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Category:1867 births

Category:1954 deaths

Category:American social workers

Category:Jewish women activists

Category:Health professionals from Chicago