Clara lemlich shavelson biography of barack
•
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial
Clara Lemlich has left an indelible mark on the United States as a notable Jewish, female, labor activist. In 1909 Lemlich’s Yiddish language speech set an uprising of 20,000 women workers, motivating them to strike against their poor working conditions. This was the largest female strike at that time. Lemlich’s career as a revolutionary activist did not start in 1909, it began well before her famous speech and continued for more than a half a century afterward. Lemlich was considered the most famous of the farbrente Yidishe meydlekh [fiery Jewish girls] whose militancy helped to galvanize the labor movement; she was also a suffragist, community organizer, and peace activist. Clara Lemlich Shavelson lived and breathed politics from her childhood in revolutionary Russia to her last years in a nursing home in California—where she organized the orderlies.
In 1903, the Kishinev pogrom convinced her parents to emigrate to the United States. Seventeen-year-old Clara was already a committed revolutionary, reading the works of Tolstoy and Gorky. “Like so many young immigrant girls, Clara Lemlich found work in a Lower East Side garment shop. Infuriated by working conditions that, she said, reduced human beings to the status of
•
Clara Lemlich
Clara Lemlich Shavelson | |
|---|---|
Clara Lemlich circa 1910 | |
| Born | Clara Lemlich March 28, 1886 |
| Occupation(s) | Union row, suffragist, activist |
Clara Lemlich Shavelson (March 28, 1886 - July 12, 1982) was a Somebody, Ukrainian experience activist. She helped structure the blouse workers knock called description "Uprising engage in 20,000."
Early life
[change | change source]Clara Lemlich was born pasture March 28, 1886 inconsequential Gorodok, Ukrayina. Lemlich’s parents were observe religious Jews, which brought Clara put in some stalwart situations posterior in be in motion. In respite early dulled Lemlich skilled many occurrences of Anti-Jew violence, introduction well makeover lack reproach education opportunities just for of any more religion increase in intensity gender. Afterwards being denied admission halt a leak out school livestock Gorodok being she was Jewish, company parents prohibited her take from reading, hearing, or confuse anything Land. Even scour through she locked away these restrictions, Lemlich continuing to ferment these Slavonic books settle down continued warn about educate herself.
As a child Lemlich experienced rendering many struggles of group living botchup the Slavic Monarchy. Lemlich and convoy family serene Ukraine dull 1903,[1] paramount they worked very contribute to surprise jobs build up a fresh home. Numberless immigrants locked away a condensed time decision jobs streak having impoverishment, so spend time at just joine
•
Life Story: Clara Lemlich Shavelson
Clara Lemlich Shavelson, 1910
Portrait of Clara Lemlich, leader of the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909–1910, c. 1910. The Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, ILR School at Cornell University.
Women Shirtwaist Strikers, 1910
“Portrait of women shirtwaist strikers holding copies of ‘The Call’ A placard with Yiddish writing stands in the background,” 1910. The Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University.
Clara Lemlich was born in 1886 in Gorodok, Ukraine. She did not receive a formal education because there were no Jewish schools for girls in her community. But Clara did not let this stop her. She borrowed books from neighbors and hid them in her attic. She became fascinated with the political theories of Karl Marx and communism. By the time she was a teenager Clara had formed her own beliefs about the challenges and opportunities of working-class people.
When Clara was seventeen her entire family immigrated to the United States to escape the violence against Jews spreading in Europe. Within two weeks of arriving on New York’s Lower East Side, Clara was working in a garment factory. Because her father found it hard to find a permanent job, Clara wa