She Persisted: Clara Lemlich

Like many immigrants fleeing the pogroms of the early 20th century, when Clara Lemlich arrived in the United States, she was only able to find work in a garment factory. The conditions were deplorable and dangerous, and it wasn't long before Lemlich helped organize the first all-female chapter of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (which, ironically, had been started by men).

Lemlich went on to lead the New York shirtwaist strike of 1909, also known as the Uprising of the 20,000. The Uprising was the largest strike by female American workers to date, and Clara led much of it in Yiddish, the language commonly spoken by central and eastern European Jews prior to the Holocaust. The strike lasted for 11 weeks, ending in a “Protocol of Peace,” which resulted in increased pay, improved working conditions, and shorter hours. Unfortunately, important safety issues - such as locked doors and condemned fire escapes - were not addressed, and just over one year later, the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory resulted in the deaths of 150 women, most of whom were Jewish.

Over the course of her life, Lemlich was a devoted suffragist and advocate for consumer rights. In her 80's, she helped unionize the orderlies in her retirement home and convinced the administration to participate in the United Farm Workers grape boycott.

Clara Lemlich devoted her life to the Jewish value of tzedek, or justice, and we are delighted to share her story with PJ Our Way readers. For more information about Lemlich and other important women in Jewish history, explore the Jewish Women's Archive at www.jwa.org.