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Ensuring that children received a quality Jewish education in the classroom was one of the first tasks undertaken by the newly created Associated Jewish Charities in 1920. Founding members organized a Board of Jewish Education (BJE) as a central agency to coordinate the financial and […]

Life was often difficult for immigrant kids growing up in East Baltimore. Their homes were small and crowded and their parents would be out working—or looking for work—all day. When the Jewish Educational Alliance was formed in 1909, making it one of the original constituent […]

Although the U.S. Supreme Court case, Shelley v. Kraemer, ended state-sponsored restrictive housing covenants in 1948, private parties—including neighborhood associations in Baltimore—continued to refuse to sell to Jewish and African-American populations. That attracted the ire of Leon Sachs, the first full-time director of the Baltimore […]

In the late 1960s, a demographic study of the Baltimore Jewish community revealed a shocking truth: the community was woefully unprepared to deal with its aging population, specifically when it came to affordable housing. It was out of that study that organizers established CHAI (Comprehensive […]

Early on, leaders of The Associated realized the importance of attracting the next generation to the cause. The Young Leadership Council dates to 1928. The thinking was that given the opportunity to see at close range the work of The Associated and its agencies, young […]

In 1967, businessman and philanthropist Harvey Meyerhoff welcomed attendees to The Associated’s third annual Community Leadership Conference. He told the assembled group of Jewish leaders that it was up to them to develop a vision of their community—and to join The Associated in carrying out […]

Unlike many philanthropic organizations, The Associated has had women in lay leader positions from its founding in the early 1920s. A Mrs. Isidore Ash headed up the Council Milk and Ice Fund, which ensured those who couldn’t afford these basic necessities received them. Dr. Flora […]

The 1960s were a time of societal change and political unrest. Reflecting the changing roles of women in American society, the Women’s Division adopted new strategies for engagement and awareness of community needs. “Come See” bus tours, a precursor to Associated mini-missions, enabled women to […]

On Sunday, May 15, 1949—a year and a day after the founding of Israel—1,200 women driven by more than 460 male volunteer chauffeurs—fanned out across Baltimore from the Emerson Hotel to help raise money for settlers in the newly established state. The goal was for […]

While women held various positions at the Associated Jewish Charities (AJC), it wasn’t until 1945 that a formal Women’s Campaign Committee* organized. Helen Dalsheimer served as its first chair and encouraged women to step up and contribute in their own names, not just in the […]