THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
The Big Sisters and Their
Fight Against Immorality
Detroit's
BY MARION L. COHEN POLAK
Philadelphia, Pa.
Candidate for
For two years 1 had been work- give us their services for the work be handled to understand their
ing as a volunteer with the Per- to state how much time they could point of view and yet exon-ienced
sonal Service Bureau of the Coun- spare and when. We asked the enough to be able to advise a
cil of Jewish Women, handling 90 synagogues to grant us the use of younger girl how to act.
Then we selected from our midst
per cent of immoral girls or those their assembly buildings to meet in,
and
met
in
all
of
the
prominent
certain
girls about eighteen years
who had been so and a scattering
of those very close to the line. A ones to show the community that old and through them formed the
we were not congregational and Junior Clubs in their own neighbor-
very slight number we knew to be
good, but just weak or foolish. still a religious organization. This hoods. Thev invited girls about the
During one month I made more secured the friendship of mem- ages wanted to join a younger club
than 200 visits to the homes of girls hers of all of them. \\'e explained of the Big Sisters. The girls were
needing supervision and in my in- our purpose to the rabbis and had then addressed by me on the pur-
vestigations I came to the conclu- them address us the first time we pose of the work and assisted in
met in their rooms. We used pub- forming a program for their work
sion that the whole problem was
intended ;ind play. . fter getting each club
being handled from the wrong end. licity to explain what we
to do. We made a strong fight started a member of the Social
I could not see the use of working against all sorts of opposition for Service Committee (one of the
ten times as hard to try to cure an
membership and our businesslike younger married set ) was desig-
immoral girl when by the use of
pledges secured us the very persons nated to act as the "advisory mem-
one-tenth of the effort required the
we wanted—the workers, not the her of the Big Sisters to assist the
girl could probably have been pre-
ones who wanted to see their names Fresident of the club." The presi-
vented from becoming immoral.
in print. At our meetings we se- dent of each club was the organ-
As an encouragement to anyone
ember o f th e
wishing to start the same proposi- cured the services of professional izer, who was also a m
talent free, had lecturers speak on Big Sisters. So we had two mem-
tion in another city, which I sin-
subjects of interest to the workers hers of the association connected
cerely hope will be done, I wish to
and made the social part of the with each club. We talked frankly
state that I received nothing but
I was elected to the girls, explained that when
discouragement from social service work successful.
Sisters we meant it and
we said
workers and others interested in president of the Big Sisters and
after officers were elected the So- that we were always ready to talk
such problems.
over anything with them that they
We were told we needed large cial Service Committee was ap- considered worth while in absolute
amounts of stoney ; that we needed pointed and given authority by confidence. We also started our
to devote to
technically trained workers ; that the association
talks on social hygiene, made ar-
unpaid workers were never reliable ; their work a certain part of rangements for them to have dances
that we were overlapping work that all dues paid into the asso- under our supervision and generally
"was going to be done," but we ciation. We secured the services superintended their work, although
listened to no one. We had infor- of the younger married set, near
(Continued on page 12)
mation that there was no organiza- enough to the age of the girls to
tion in Philadelphia with either
money enough to pay to have our
plans carried out by paid workers
Successful
or with volunteers enough to carry
Banker and
the plan through. We consulted
with business men to get our plans
Business Man
down to a working business basis.
We had to have a large number of
persons financially interested in the
F you are interested in perform-
work and a large number ready to
ance—in real quality, and econo-
Regent
do the actual work without pay.
my, and comfort rather than in
We found that the objection to
University of Michigan
most social service organizations
mere number of cylinderS—the
was the petty graft of buying tick-
Hupmobile lays big claim to your atten-
etc, being asked for donations, beg-
tion. Just ride in the car—that's all.
ging on the floor of the organiza-
Let us tell you about Hup-
tion for funds for different pur-
mobile free-coupon service
poses, all tending to keep persons
of moderate circumstances, and yet
with time enough to give some to
Courtesy First—Safety
the community, out of the work.
for others in motoring
NVe made up our minds that this
•
HENRY KOHNER
class of persons were absolutely
Five-passenger Touring Car $1185
$1185
-
-
-
Roadster
ARCHITECT
necessary to make any plan like
Seven-passenger.Touring Car $1340
ours successful if we expected to
do the work on a large scale and
GRASSER MOTOR CO., 1299 Woodward Ave.
803 Kresge Building
Phone
still not . need much money. We
Market 5464
G. Edw. Bleil, Mgr.
Detroit
Cadillac 6155
formed a social organization called
the Big Sisters. NN'e charged them
F. 0. B. Detroit
$1.50 a year and the younger mem-
bers 15 cents a month as dues, with
the absolute guarantee that no one
Expert Chiropodist
would ever be allowed, in the name
287 Woodward Ave. (2nd Floor)
'nolo, car seruic ♦
Po mark glaviserser
of the organization, to beg from
PAINLESS EXTRACTION
them, directly or indirectly. We
Cadillac 7329
asked those who could afford to
GOVERNOR
Frank B. Leland
ranobfifie
MADAM MYERS
9 785