League of Jewish Women

The League of Jewish Women was founded in 1943 to provide help to both the Jewish and wider communities. It was established as a non-political, non-fund raising voluntary welfare organisation. League members were organised into local groups. The groups were mostly centred on London but there were some elsewhere, for example around Manchester, the first Manchester group being established in 1944.

The help that the League offered was in the form of voluntary work, ranging from hospital and home visiting to working in prisons and running day centres for older people. Through Head Office committees, provision was also made for education and training in various skills. In the early 1950s, an attempt was made to raise the League's profile through the formation of a Publicity Committee. By the time of the League's 25th anniversary in 1968 an in-house magazine, "Around the League" had been launched and in 1970 charitable status was granted.

The League became affiliated to national organisations such as the Women's National Commission. In addition, the League was the UK affiliate of the International Council of Jewish Women. In this capacity the League took part in, and occasionally helped organise, international conferences. The League's own tri-annual conference had first taken place in Bournemouth in 1975.