Jewish Women as Teachers of Religion in Galicia Before 1914

The article describes the activities of Jewish women teaching religion in Galician public schools. The first women performed this profession in the 1870s, in the 1890s they were listed for the first time in the schematisms (the official lists of civil servants), in the next decade the first woman received a permanent teaching position, and in 1913 they were for the first time directly addressed in the job announcement for teachers of religion. Therefore, their position became more established toward the end of the autonomous period, although they still constituted an absolute minority in this professional group. The emergence of female teachers of religion raised protests among the male members of this professional group. They voiced three main arguments against granting women teaching positions: their alleged insufficient qualifications, the tradition of Judaism, and what they understood to be the “social justice” (according to which men deserved permanent teaching contracts more than women). The article discusses the chronology of granting women the positions of teachers of religion, describes the public debate on the subject, and addresses the issue of women’s professional qualifications. It is based on both printed and archival sources and on historical press.

* Artykuł powstał w ramach projektu Narodowego Centrum Nauki pt. „Religia mojżeszowa” jako przedmiot szkolny w Galicji: programy nauczania, podręczniki, nauczyciele, konkurs „Sonata” (2018/31/D/HS3/03604). Wszystkie autorki są członkiniami zespołu projektowego. Nazwiska autorek podano w kolejności alfabetycznej.

The article describes the activities of Jewish women teaching religion in Galician public schools. The first women performed this profession in the 1870s, in the 1890s they were listed for the first time in the schematisms (the official lists of civil servants), in the next decade the first woman received a permanent teaching position, and in 1913 they were for the first time directly addressed in the job announcement for teachers of religion. Therefore, their position became more established toward the end of the autonomous period, although they still constituted an absolute minority in this professional group. The emergence of female teachers of religion raised protests among the male members of this professional group. They voiced three main arguments against granting women teaching positions: their alleged insufficient qualifications, the tradition of Judaism, and what they understood to be the “social justice” (according to which men deserved permanent teaching contracts more than women). The article discusses the chronology of granting women the positions of teachers of religion, describes the public debate on the subject, and addresses the issue of women’s professional qualifications. It is based on both printed and archival sources and on historical press.

* Artykuł powstał w ramach projektu Narodowego Centrum Nauki pt. „Religia mojżeszowa” jako przedmiot szkolny w Galicji: programy nauczania, podręczniki, nauczyciele, konkurs „Sonata” (2018/31/D/HS3/03604). Wszystkie autorki są członkiniami zespołu projektowego. Nazwiska autorek podano w kolejności alfabetycznej.